Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
  • B41M5/36—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used using a polymeric layer, which may be particulate and which is deformed or structurally changed with modification of its' properties, e.g. of its' optical hydrophobic-hydrophilic, solubility or permeability properties
  • B41M5/368—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used using a polymeric layer, which may be particulate and which is deformed or structurally changed with modification of its' properties, e.g. of its' optical hydrophobic-hydrophilic, solubility or permeability properties involving the creation of a soluble/insoluble or hydrophilic/hydrophobic permeability pattern; Peel development
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
  • B41C1/10—Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme
  • B41C1/1008—Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme by removal or destruction of lithographic material on the lithographic support, e.g. by laser or spark ablation; by the use of materials rendered soluble or insoluble by heat exposure, e.g. by heat produced from a light to heat transforming system; by on-the-press exposure or on-the-press development, e.g. by the fountain of photolithographic materials
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09B—ORGANIC DYES OR CLOSELY-RELATED COMPOUNDS FOR PRODUCING DYES, e.g. PIGMENTS; MORDANTS; LAKES
  • C09B57/00—Other synthetic dyes of known constitution
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09B—ORGANIC DYES OR CLOSELY-RELATED COMPOUNDS FOR PRODUCING DYES, e.g. PIGMENTS; MORDANTS; LAKES
  • C09B69/00—Dyes not provided for by a single group of this subclass
  • C09B69/02—Dyestuff salts, e.g. salts of acid dyes with basic dyes
  • C09B69/04—Dyestuff salts, e.g. salts of acid dyes with basic dyes of anionic dyes with nitrogen containing compounds
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
  • B41C1/10—Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme
  • B41C1/1008—Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme by removal or destruction of lithographic material on the lithographic support, e.g. by laser or spark ablation; by the use of materials rendered soluble or insoluble by heat exposure, e.g. by heat produced from a light to heat transforming system; by on-the-press exposure or on-the-press development, e.g. by the fountain of photolithographic materials
  • B41C1/1016—Forme preparation for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme by removal or destruction of lithographic material on the lithographic support, e.g. by laser or spark ablation; by the use of materials rendered soluble or insoluble by heat exposure, e.g. by heat produced from a light to heat transforming system; by on-the-press exposure or on-the-press development, e.g. by the fountain of photolithographic materials characterised by structural details, e.g. protective layers, backcoat layers or several imaging layers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2201/00—Location, type or constituents of the non-imaging layers in lithographic printing formes
  • B41C2201/02—Cover layers; Protective layers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2201/00—Location, type or constituents of the non-imaging layers in lithographic printing formes
  • B41C2201/04—Intermediate layers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2201/00—Location, type or constituents of the non-imaging layers in lithographic printing formes
  • B41C2201/14—Location, type or constituents of the non-imaging layers in lithographic printing formes characterised by macromolecular organic compounds, e.g. binder, adhesives
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2210/00—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation
  • B41C2210/04—Negative working, i.e. the non-exposed (non-imaged) areas are removed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2210/00—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation
  • B41C2210/08—Developable by water or the fountain solution
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2210/00—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation
  • B41C2210/20—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation characterised by inorganic additives, e.g. pigments, salts
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2210/00—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation
  • B41C2210/22—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation characterised by organic non-macromolecular additives, e.g. dyes, UV-absorbers, plasticisers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
  • B41C2210/00—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation
  • B41C2210/24—Preparation or type or constituents of the imaging layers, in relation to lithographic printing forme preparation characterised by a macromolecular compound or binder obtained by reactions involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. acrylics, vinyl polymers
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S430/00—Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product thereof
  • Y10S430/145—Infrared
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10S430/00—Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product thereof
  • Y10S430/146—Laser beam

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an image-recording material capable of obtaining a printing out image having good visibility after image exposure, a lithographic printing plate precursor, and a lithographic printing method of printing by using the lithographic printing plate precursor.
• a lithographic printing plate generally comprises a lipophilic image area that receives ink during printing process and a hydrophilic non-image area that receives a fountain solution.
• Lithographic printing is a printing method of making difference in ink-adhering property on the surface of a lithographic printing plate with the lipophilic image area of the lithographic printing plate as the ink-receptive area and the hydrophilic non-image area as the fountain solution-receptive area (an ink-repellent area) by making use of the natures of water and oily ink of repelling to each other, adhering ink only on the image area, and transferring the ink to the material to be printed, e.g., paper.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor (a PS plate) comprising a hydrophilic support having provided thereon a lipophilic photosensitive resin layer (an image-recording layer)
• a lithographic printing plate is generally obtained by a plate making method of exposing a lithographic printing plate precursor through an original image of a lith film and the like, and then, for leaving the image-recording layer of the image area, dissolving and removing the image-recording layer of the non-image area with an alkali developing solution or an organic solvent to whereby bare a hydrophilic support surface.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor having an image-recording layer whose affinity with a fountain solution or ink changes on the surface by exposure and capable of printing without being accompanied by the removal of an image-recording layer is proposed.
• on-press development is a method of using an image-recording layer capable of removal of a non-image area of a lithographic printing plate precursor in an ordinary printing process, and removing a non-image area after exposure on a printing machine to whereby obtain a lithographic printing plate.
• on-press development e.g., a method of using a lithographic printing plate precursor having an image-recording layer soluble or dispersible in, e.g., a fountain solution, an ink solvent or an emulsified product of a fountain solution and ink, a method of mechanically removing an image-recording layer by the contact with the rollers and the blanket of a printing machine, and a method of mechanically removing an image-recording layer by the contact with the rollers and the blanket after weakening the cohesive strength of an image-recording layer or the adhesive strength of an image-recording layer and a support by the permeation of a fountain solution, an ink solvent and the like are exemplified.
• development process means a process of removing an unexposed portion with an infrared laser of a lithographic printing plate precursor by being brought into contact with a liquid (generally an alkali developing solution) to thereby bare the hydrophilic support surface by using an apparatus other than a printing machine (generally an automatic processor), and “on-press development” means a method and a process of removing an unexposed portion with an infrared laser of a lithographic printing plate precursor by being brought into contact with a liquid (generally printing ink and/or a fountain solution) to thereby bare the hydrophilic support surface by using a printing machine.
• a liquid generally an alkali developing solution
• on-press development means a method and a process of removing an unexposed portion with an infrared laser of a lithographic printing plate precursor by being brought into contact with a liquid (generally printing ink and/or a fountain solution) to thereby bare the hydrophilic support surface by using a printing machine.
• image recording is performed by imagewise exposing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor by low to middle intensity of illumination to cause imagewise change of physical properties by photochemical reaction in the image-recording layer.
• an exposure area is irradiated with a great quantity of light energy in an extremely short period of time, and the light energy is efficiently converted to beat energy, the heat energy causes thermal changes such as chemical changes, phase changes and morphological or structural changes in the image-recording layer, and these changes are utilized in image-recording.
• image data are inputted by light energy, e.g. laser beams, but image recording is performed in the state including the reaction by heat energy in addition to light energy.
• a recording system making use of heat generation by such high power density exposure is generally called heat mode recording, and converting light energy to heat energy is called light/heat conversion.
• Such an image-recording layer is also called a image-recording layer in the invention.
• lithographic printing plate precursors for use in heat mode recording are free of sensitization by room illumination before exposure and fixation of images is not essential after exposure. Therefore, for example, when a plate-making process is performed by on-press development with an image-recording layer that is insolubilized or solubilized by exposure with high output laser beams, and the exposed image-recording layer is made an imagewise lithographic printing plate, a printing system that an image is not influenced even if exposed to room light after exposure becomes possible. Therefore, it is expected that a lithographic printing plate precursor preferably used for on-press development can be obtained if heat mode recording is used.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a hydrophilic support having provided thereon an image-forming layer containing hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles dispersed in a hydrophilic binder is disclosed in Japanese Patent 2938397.
• Japanese Patent 2938397 discloses that it is possible to perform on-press development with a fountain solution and/or ink by subjecting the lithographic printing plate precursor to exposure with an infrared laser to coalesce the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles by heat to thereby form an image, and then mounting the lithographic printing plate precursor on the cylinder of a printing machine.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a hydrophilic support having thereon an image-recording layer (a heat-sensitive layer) containing microcapsules containing a polymerizable compound is disclosed JP-A-2001-277740 (The term “JP-A” as used herein refers to an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”). Further, JP-A-2002-287334 discloses a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support having provided thereon an image-recording layer (a photosensitive layer) containing an infrared absorber, a radical polymerization initiator and a polymerizable compound.
• the inspection and discrimination of images on a printing plate i.e., works for ascertaining whether the images fitting for the purpose are recorded on the printing plate or not, and ascertaining for what a color of ink the plate is, are operated.
• an image can be easily ascertained after plate-making (after development process), or before printing (before a printing plate is mounted on the printing machine) generally by coloring an image-recording layer in advance.
• an object of the invention is to provide an image-recording material capable of obtaining a printing out image having good visibility with laser exposure. Another object is to provide an on-press development type or a non-processing (non-development) type lithographic printing plate precursor capable of obtaining a printing out image having great visibility capable of easily discriminating the plate at the stage of imagewise heating or light radiation with an infrared laser, and a further object of the invention is to provide a lithographic printing method using the lithographic printing plate precursor,
• the invention is as follows.
• a compound comprising: a partial structure represented by the following formula (I); and at least one group selected from the group consisting of an acid group having a pKa of 11 or less, the derivative of the acid group and a group capable of generating the acid group:
• X and Y each independently represents an atom selected from N, O and S;
• Q represents an atom selected from C, N, O and S.
• An image-recording material comprising (A) a compound comprising: a partial structure represented by the following formula (I); and at least one group selected from the group consisting of an acid group having a pKa of 11 or less, the derivative of the acid group and a group capable of generating the acid group:
• X and Y each independently represents an atom selected from N, O and S;
• Q represents an atom selected from C, N, O and S.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support and an image-recording layer, wherein the image-recording layer comprises (A) a compound comprising: a partial structure represented by the following formula (I); and at least one group selected from the group consisting of an acid group having a pKa of 11 or less, the derivative of the acid group and a group capable of generating the acid group:
• X and Y each independently represents an atom selected from N, O and S;
• Q represents an atom selected from C, N, O and S.
• lithographic printing plate precursor as described in the item 4 or 5, wherein the image-recording layer is capable of image recording by an infrared laser exposure, and the lithographic printing plate precursor is capable of performing a printing by being loaded on a printing machine without a development processing after image recording, or by image recording after being loaded on a printing machine.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support and an image-recording layer, wherein the image-recording layer comprises (1) an infrared absorber and (2) a photochromic compound.
• lithographic printing plate precursor as described in the item 7, wherein the image-recording layer is capable of image recording by an infrared laser exposure, and the lithographic printing plate precursor is capable of performing a printing by being loaded on a printing machine without a development processing after image recording, or by image recording after being loaded on a printing machine.
• the photochromic compound (2) is selected from the group consisting of a spiropyran compound, a naphthopyran compound, a spiroxazine compound, a fulgide compound, a chromene compound and a diarylethene compound.
• lithographic printing plate precursor as described in any one of the items 4 to 6, wherein the image-recording layer further comprises (3) a radical polymerizable compound and a radical polymerization initiator.
• a method of plate making a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising:
• a method of plate making a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising:
• a lithographic printing method comprising:
• a lithographic printing method comprising:
• a printing out image having good visibility can be obtained by using a spiro compound or an indolinooxazine compound having an acid group having a pKa of 11 or less, the derivative of the acid group, or a group capable of generating the acid group.
• the mechanism of such a function of the invention is not clear known, but it is thought that an acid generated by the function of light or heat and a hetero atom bonded to a spiro carbon interact, whereby the cleavage of the spiro carbon occurs and the conjugation expands, as a result the compound causes absorption in the visible region, as shown in the following reaction scheme.
• the invention can provide an image-recording material capable of obtaining a printing out image having good visibility with infrared laser exposure. Further, the invention can provide an on-press development type or a non-processing (non-development) type lithographic printing plate precursor capable of easily discriminating the plate at the stage of imagewise exposure with an infrared laser by a printing out image having great visibility, and can provide a lithographic printing method using an on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor
• the image-recording material according to the invention contains (A) a compound having a partial structure represented by the following formula (I) and at least one group selected from an acid group having a pKa of 11 or less, the derivative of the acid group and a group capable of generating the acid group (hereinafter the compound is sometimes referred to as “the compound of the invention”).
• X and Y each independently represents an atom selected from N, O and S, and Q represents an atom selected from C, N, O and S.
• spiro compounds such as spiropyran and spirooxazine
• indolinooxazolidine compounds are exemplified.
• Q, X and Y have the same meanings as described in formula (I)
• Z represents CH or N
• ⁇ represents an atomic group for constituting a ring formed by bonding to Q and X
• ⁇ represents an atomic group for constituting a ring formed by bonding to Y and Z.
• the specific examples of atomic groups represented by ⁇ or ⁇ include an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a substituted alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, a substituted alkynyl group, an aryl group, a substituted aryl group, and a divalent linking group obtained by eliminating one hydrogen from a heteroaryl group; linking groups having a partial structure having a hetero atom such as shown below; and groups obtained by combining two or more of these linking groups.
• alkyl group substituted alkyl group, alkenyl group, substituted alkenyl group, alkynyl group, substituted alkynyl group, aryl group and substituted aryl group
• the following groups are exemplified.
• alkyl group a Straight chain, branched or cyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms can be exemplified, and the specific examples thereof include a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group, a heptyl group, an octyl group, a nonyl group, a decyl group, an undecyl group, a dodecyl group, a tridecyl group, a hexadecyl group, an octadecyl group, an eicosyl group, an isopropyl group, an isobutyl group, an s-butyl group, a t-butyl group, an isopentyl group, a neopentyl group, a 1-methylbutyl group, an isohexyl group, a
• alkyl groups a straight chain alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a branched alkyl group having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, and a cyclic alkyl group having from 5 to 10 carbon atoms are more preferred.
• the substituted alkyl group consists of bonding of a substituent and an alkylene group, and monovalent non-metallic atomic groups exclusive of a hydrogen atom are used as the substituents.
• the examples of preferred substituents include a halogen atom (—F, —Br, —Cl, —I), a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group, an aryloxy group, a mercapto group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an alkyldithio group, an aryldithio group, an amino group, an N-alkylamino group, an N,N-dialkylamino group, an N-arylamino group, an N,N-diarylamino group, an N-alkyl-N-arylamino group, an acyloxy group, a carbamoyloxy group, an N-alkylcarbamoyloxy group, an N-arylcarbamoy
• the above alkyl groups can be exemplified, and the specific examples of the aryl groups include a phenyl group, a biphenyl group, a naphthyl group, a tolyl group, a xylyl group, a mesityl group, a cumenyl group, a fluorophenyl group, a chlorophenyl group, a bromophenyl group, a chloromethylphenyl group, a hydroxyphenyl group, a methoxyphenyl group, an ethoxyphenyl Soup, a phenoxyphenyl group, an acetoxyphenyl group, a benzoyloxyphenyl group, a methylthiophenyl group, a phenylthiophenyl group, a methylaminophenyl group, a dimethylaminophenyl group, an acetylaminoph
• alkenyl groups a vinyl group, a 1-propenyl group, a 1-butenyl group, a cinnamyl group, and a 2-chloro-1-ethenyl group can be exemplified, and as the examples of the alkynyl groups, an ethynyl group, a 1-propynyl group, a 1-butynyl group, a trimethylsilylethynyl group, and a phenylethynyl group can be exemplified.
• substituted alkyl groups include a chloromethyl group, a bromomethyl group, a 2-chloroethyl group, a trifluoromethyl group, a methoxymethyl group, a methoxyethoxyethyl group, an allyloxymethyl group, a phenoxymethyl group, a methylthiomethyl group, a tolylthio-methyl group, an ethylaminoethyl group, a diethylaminopropyl group, a morpholinopropyl group, an acetyloxymethyl group, a benzoyloxymethyl group, an N-cyclohexylcarbamoyloxyethyl group, an N-phenylcarbamoyloxyethyl group, an acetylamino-ethyl group, an N-methylbenzoylaminopropyl group, a 2-oxo-ethyl group, a 2-oxopropyl group,
• aryl groups a condensed ring formed by 1 to 3 benzene rings and a condensed ring formed by a benzene ring and a 5-membered unsaturated ring can be exemplified.
• the specific examples include a phenyl group, a naphthyl group, an anthryl group, a phenanthryl group, an indenyl group, an acenaphthenyl group, and a fluorenyl group. Of these groups, a phenyl group and a naphthyl group are more preferred.
• the substituted aryl group is that which is obtained by bonding a substituent to an aryl group, and those having a monovalent non-metallic atomic group exclusive of a hydrogen atom as a substituent on the ring-forming carbon atoms of the above aryl groups are used as the substituted aryl groups.
• substituents the above alkyl groups, substituted alkyl groups, and those described above as the examples of the substituents in the substituted alkyl groups can be exemplified.
• substituted aryl groups include a biphenyl group, a tolyl group, a xylyl group, a mesityl group, a cumenyl group, a chlorophenyl group, a bromophenyl group, a fluorophenyl group, a chloromethyl-phenyl group, a trifluoromethylphenyl group, a hydroxyphenyl group, a methoxyphenyl group, a methoxyethoxyphenyl group, an allyloxyphenyl group, a phenoxyphenyl group, a methylthio-phenyl group, a tolylthiophenyl group, a phenylthiophenyl group, an ethylaminophenyl group, a diethylaminophenyl group, a morpholinophenyl group, an acetyloxyphenyl group, a benzoyl-oxyphenyl group
• the heterocyclic ring groups may have a substituent, and monovalent non-metallic atomic groups exclusive of a hydrogen atom can be used as the substituents.
• substituents the above-described alkyl groups, substituted alkyl groups, and the substituents in the substituted alkyl groups described above are exemplified.
• alkenyl groups a vinyl group, a 1-propenyl group, a 1-butenyl group, a cinnamyl group, and a 2-chloro-1-ethenyl group are exemplified, and as the examples of the alkynyl groups, an ethynyl group, a 1-propynyl group, a 1-butynyl group and a trimethylsilylethynyl group are exemplified.
• the substituted alkenyl group is an alkenyl group having a substituent bonded to the alkenyl group by replacing with the hydrogen atom in the alkenyl group, and as the substituents of the substituted alkenyl group, the above substituents in the substituted alkyl group can be used.
• the alkenyl group the above alkenyl groups can be used.
• the preferred examples of the substituted alkenyl groups the following groups can be exemplified.
• the substituted alkynyl group is an alkynyl group having a substituent bonded to the alkynyl group by replacing with the hydrogen atom in the alkynyl group, and as the substituents of the substituted alkynyl group, the above substituents in the substituted alkyl group can be used.
• the alkynyl group the above alkynyl groups can be used.
• the spiro compound represented by formula (IA) is particularly preferably represented by the following formula (IB):
• X′ represents NR 1 , O or s
• R 1 represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms which may be substituted, an alkenyl group having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms which may be substituted, an alkynyl group having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms which may be substituted, an aralkyl group having from 7 to 20 carbon atoms which may be substituted, or an aryl group having from 6 to 19 carbon atoms which may be substituted
• ⁇ and ⁇ each represents an atomic group for constituting a ring formed with the carbon atom to which ⁇ or ⁇ is bonded, and the specific examples of atomic groups represented by ⁇ or ⁇ include the above alkyl group, substituted alkyl group, alkenyl group, substituted alkenyl group, alkynyl group, substituted alkynyl group, aryl group, substituted aryl group, and a divalent linking group obtained by eliminating one hydrogen from a heteroaryl group; linking groups
• Q′ represents O, S or CR 2 R 3 .
• Q′ represents CR 2 R 3 and R 2 and R 3 are independent, each of them represents a substituent selected from an alkyl group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having from 7 to 20 carbon atoms, and an aryl group having from 6 to 19 carbon atoms; and when R 2 and R 3 are not independent, they may have carbon atoms jointly and form ring having from 3to 20carbon atoms.
• Y′ represents N, O or S
• Z′ represents CH or N.
• spiropyran compounds preferably used in the invention include benzospiropyran compounds, e.g., 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-methoxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-nitrobenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-nitro-8′-methoxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-5-methoxy-6′-nitrobenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-bromo-8′-nitrobenzopyrylospiran and 1,3,3-trimethylindolinobenzopyrylospiran, naphthospiropyran compounds, e.g., 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-7′-nitronaphthopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-nitronaphthopyrylospiran, and 1,3,3-trimethylindolinobenz
• indolinooxazolidine compounds preferably used in the invention include 2- ⁇ 2-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]ethenyl ⁇ -3,3-dimethylindolino[2,1-b]-oxazolidine, 2- ⁇ 4-[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-1,3-butadienyl ⁇ -3,3-dimethylindolino[2,1-b]oxazolidine, and 3,3-dimethyl-2- ⁇ 2-[9ethyl-3-carbazolyl]ethenyl ⁇ indolino-[2,1-b]oxazolidine.
• Ar represents a divalent aryl linking group which may have a substituent
• R represents a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent.
• acid groups selected from (1) to (6) it is preferred to have (3) a substituted sulfonamido-based acid group, (4) a carboxylic acid group or (5) a sulfonic acid group, and (5) a sulfonic acid group is most preferred for ensuring sufficient visibility.
• esters, amides and acetals of the acid groups having a pKa of 11 or less are exemplified.
• esters and acetals are preferred for high sensitivity, and esters are particularly preferred.
• groups capable of generating acid groups having a pKa of 11 or less include, e.g., onium groups such as a sulfonium group, an iodonium group and a diazonium group.
• onium groups preferably used in the invention are onium groups represented by the following formulae (R-I) to (R-III).
• Ar 11 represents an aryl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, which may have from 1 to 6 substituents, and as the preferred substituents, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an alkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylamido group or arylamido group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a thioalkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl
• Z 11 ⁇ represents a monovalent anion, and specifically a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion, a thiosulfonate ion and a sulfite ion are exemplified.
• a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion and a sulfinate ion are preferred.
• Ar 21 and Ar 22 each represents an aryl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, which may have from 1 to 6 substituents, and as the preferred substituents, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an alkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylamido group or arylamido group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a thioalkyl group having from 1 to
• Z 21 ⁇ represents a monovalent anion, and specifically a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a hexafluoro-phosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulinate ion, a thiosulfonate ion and a sulfate ion are exemplified.
• a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoro-borate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion and a carboxylate ion are preferred.
• R 31 , R 32 and R 33 each represents an aryl, alkyl alkenyl or alkynyl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, which may have from 1 to 6 substituents. Above all, in view of stability and reactivity, an aryl group is preferred.
• an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms an alkenyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an alkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylamido group or arylamido group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a thioalkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and a thioaryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms are exemplified.
• Z 31 ⁇ represents a monovalent anion, and specifically a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a hexafluoro-phosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion, a thiosulfonate ion, and a sulfate ion are exemplified.
• a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion and a carboxylate ion are preferred.
• carboxylate ions the carboxylate ions disclosed in JP-A-2001-343742 are exemplified, and the carboxylate ions disclosed in JP-A-2002-148790 are particularly preferred.
• onium groups sulfonium groups and iodonium groups arc preferred, and sulfonium groups are most preferred for high sensitivity.
• the compound of the invention can be used alone, but two kinds or more may be used in combination.
• the addition amount is preferably from 1 ⁇ mol to 10 mmol/m 2 , and more preferably from 10 ⁇ mol to 1 mmol/cm 2 .
• the image-recording material in the invention prefferably contains infrared absorbers for increasing sensitivity to infrared lasers.
• Infrared absorbers have a function to convert absorbed infrared rays to heat.
• Infrared absorbers fore use in the invention are dyes or pigments having an absorption maximum in the wavelength of front 760 to 1,200 nm.
• dyes for this purpose commercially available dyes and well-known dyes described in literatures, e.g., Senryo Binran ( Dye Handbook ), compiled by Yuki Gosei Kagaku Kyokai (1970) can be used.
• Senryo Binran Dye Handbook
• pyrazolone azo dyes naphthoquinone dyes, anthraquinone dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, carbonium dyes, quinoneimine dyes, methine dyes, cyanine dyes, squarylium dyes, pyrylium salts and metal thiolate complexes are exemplified.
• dyes e.g., the cyanine dyes disclosed in JP-A-58-125246, JP-A-59-84356 and JP-A-60-78787, the methine dyes disclosed in JP-A-58-173696, JP-A-58-181690 and JP-A-58-194595, the naphthoquinone dyes disclosed in JP-A-58-112793, JP-A-58-224793, JP-A-59-48187, JP-A-59-73996, JP-A-60-52940 and JP-A-60-63744, the squarylium dyes disclosed in JP-A-58-112792, and the cyanine dyes disclosed in British Patent 434,875 are exemplified.
• the near infrared absorbing sensitizers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,938 are also preferably used, in addition, the substituted arylbenzo(thio)pyrylium salts disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,924, the trimethine thiapyrylium salts disclosed in JP-A-57-142645 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No.
• JP-B-5-13514 the term “JP-B” as used herein refers to an “examined Japanese patent publication”
• JP-B-5-19702 are also preferably used in the invention.
• the near infrared absorbing dyes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,993 as the compounds represented by formulae (I) and (II) can be exemplified.
• infrared absorbing dyes in the invention the specific indolenine cyanine dyes disclosed in JP-A-2002-278057 as shown below can be exemplified.
• cyanine dyes cyanine dyes, squarylium dyes, pyrylium salts, nickel thiolate complexes and indolenine cyanine dyes are exemplified as particularly preferred dyes.
• Cyanine dyes and indolenine cyanine dyes are more preferred, and as one particularly preferred example, a cyanine dye represented by the following formula (II) is exemplified.
• X 1 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, —NPh 2 , X 2 -L 1 , or a group shown below.
• X 2 represents an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom or a sulfur atom
• L 1 represents a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aromatic ring having a hetero atom, or a hydrocarbon group containing a hetero atom having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.
• the hetero atoms here mean N, S, O, a halogen atom and Se.
• X a ⁇ is defined as the same with the later-described Z a ⁇
• R a represents a substituent selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted amino group and a halogen atom.
• R 1 and R 2 each represents a hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.
• R 1 and R 2 each preferably represents a hydrocarbon group having 2 or more carbon atoms, and particularly preferably R 1 and R 2 are bonded to each other to form a 5- or 6-membered ring.
• Ar 1 and Ar 2 which may be the same or different, each represents an aromatic hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent.
• the examples of preferred aromatic hydrocarbon groups include a benzene ring and a naphthalene ring.
• the preferred examples of the substituents include a hydrocarbon group having 12 or less carbon atoms, a halogen atom, and an alkoxyl group having 12 or less carbon atoms.
• Y 1 and Y 2 which may be the same or different, each represents a sulfur atom or a dialkylmethylene group having 12 or less carbon atoms.
• R 3 and R 4 which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms which may have a substituent.
• the preferred examples of the substituents include an alkoxyl group having 12 or less carbon atoms, a carboxyl group and a sulfo group.
• R 5 , R 6 , R 7 and R 8 which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 12 or less carbon atoms, preferably a hydrogen atom because of easy availability of the material.
• Z a ⁇ represents a counter anion, provided that when a cyanine dye represented by formula (II) has an anionic substituent within the structure and the neutralization of the electric charge is not necessary, Z a ⁇ is not necessary.
• Z a ⁇ preferably represents a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion or a sulfonate ion for the storage stability of the recording layer coating solution, and particularly preferably Z a ⁇ represents a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion or an arylsulfonate ion.
• infrared absorbers the specific indolenine cyanine dyes disclosed in JP-A-2002-278057 are exemplified.
• pigments for use in the present invention commercially available pigments and the pigments described in Color Index ( C.I. ) Binran ( Color Index Bulletin ), Shaishin Ganryo Binran ( The Latest Pigment Handbook ), compiled by Nippon Ganryo Gijutsu Kyokai (1977), Shaishin Ganryo Oyo Gijutsu ( The Latest Pigment Applied Techniques ), CMC Publishing Co. Ltd. (1986), Insatsu Ink Gijutsu ( Printing Ink Techniques ). CMC Publishing Co. Ltd. (1984) can be used.
• pigments can be used in the invention, e.g., black pigments, yellow pigments, orange pigments, brown pigments, red pigments, purple pigments, blue pigments, green pigments, fluorescent pigments, metallic powder pigments, and polymer-bond pigments can be exemplified.
• insoluble azo pigments azo lake pigments, condensation azo pigments, chelate azo pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, anthraquinone pigments, perylene and perinone pigments, thioindigo pigments, quinacridone pigments, dioxazine pigments, isoindolinone pigments, quinophthalone pigments, in-mold lake pigments, azine pigments, nitroso pigments, nitro pigments, natural pigments, fluorescent pigments, inorganic pigments, and carbon black can be used. Of these pigments, carbon black is preferably used.
• These pigments can be used without surface treatment or the surfaces may be treated.
• a method of coating the surface of pigments with resins and waxes, a method of adhering surfactants, and a method of bonding reactive substances (e.g., silane coupling agents, epoxy compounds, or polyisocyanate) on the surfaces of pigments can be exemplified.
• These surface treatment methods are described in Kinzoku Sekken no Seishitsu to Oyo ( Natures and Applications of Metal Soaps ), Saiwai Shobo, Insatsu Ink Gijutsu ( Printing Ink Techniques ), CMC Publishing Co., Ltd. (1984), and Shaishin Ganryo Oyo Gijutsu ( The Latest Pigment Applied Techniques ), CMC Publishing Co., Ltd. (1986).
• the particle size of pigments is preferably from 0.01 to 10 ⁇ m, more preferably from 0.05 to 1 ⁇ m, and particularly preferably from 0.1 to 1 ⁇ m. When the particle size of pigments is in this range, stability of the pigment dispersion in an image-recording layer coating solution and uniformity of an image-recording layer can be obtained.
• the examples of dispersing apparatus include an ultrasonic disperser, a sand mill, an attritor, a pearl mill, a super-mill a ball mill, an impeller, a disperser, a KD mill, a colloid mill, a dynatron, a three-roll mill and a pressure kneader, and details are described in Shaishin Ganryo Oyo Gijutsu ( The Latest Pigment Application Techniques ), CMC Publishing Co., Ltd. (1986).
• infrared absorbers may be added to the same layer with other components, or a separate layer may be provided and added thereto. Alternatively, infrared absorbers may be added as the form of being encapsulated in microcapsules.
• infrared absorbers are added so that the absorbance of an image-recording layer at the maximum absorption wavelength in the wavelength range of from 760 to 1,200 nm is from 0.3 to 1.2 by reflection measuring method, more preferably from 0.4 to 1.1. In this range of the addition amount, the polymerization reaction proceeds uniformly in the depth direction of the image-recording layer and good layer strength of the image area and sufficient adhesion to the support can be obtained.
• the absorbance of an image-recording layer can be adjusted by the addition amount of an infrared absorber to the image-recording layer and the thickness of the image-recording layer.
• Absorbance can be measured by ordinary methods, e.g., a method of forming an image-recording layer having an arbitrarily determined thickness in a dry coating weight necessary as the lithographic painting plate on a reflective support, such as an aluminum support, and measuring the reflection density with an optical densitometer, and a method of measuring the absorbance by a reflection method with a spectrophotometer using an integrating sphere are exemplified.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor is exemplified.
• an embodiment that contains (1) an infrared absorber and (2) the compound (A), and (ii) an embodiment that contains (1) an infrared absorber and (2) a photochromic compound, are preferably exemplified.
• a photochromic compound is a compound having the properties that when it absorbs light, a reversible isomerization reaction occurs in the molecule, and absorption wavelength changes with the structural change, and is disclosed in JP-B-6-9968 1 (the term “JP-B” as used herein refers to an “examined Japanese patent publication”), and JP-A-7-278444 (the term “JP-A” as used herein refers to an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”).
• spiropyran compounds such as spiropyran, naphthopyran and spiroxazine
• fulgide compounds as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,882,438, 4,960,678, 5,130,058 and 5,106,998, chromene compounds and diarylethene compounds are exemplified.
• spiropyran and naphthopyran compounds preferably used in the invention include benzospiropyran compounds, e.g., 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-methoxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-nitrobenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-nitro-8′-methoxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-5-methoxy-6′-nitrobenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-bromo-8′-nitrobenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolinobenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-hydroxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-7′-hydroxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-6′-hydroxybenzopyrylospiran, 1,3,3-trimethylin
• spirooxazine compounds preferably used in the invention include 1,3,3-trimethyl-spiro[2H-indole-2,3′-[3H]pyrido[4,3-f][1,4]benzoxazine], 4-fluoro-1,3,3-trimethylspiro[2H-indole-2,3′-[3H]pyrido-[4,3-f][1,4]benzoxazine], 5-fluoro-1,3,3-trimethylspiro-[2H-indole-2,3′-[3H]pyrido[4,3-f][1,4]benzoxazine], 6-fluoro-1,3,3-trimethylspiro[2H-indole-2,3′-[3H]pyrido-[4,3-f][1,4]benzoxazine], 5-chloro-1,3,3-trimethylspiro-[H-indole-2,3′-[3H
• fulgide compounds preferably used in the invention include N-cyanomethyl-6,7-dihydro-4-methyl-2-phenylspiro(5,6-benzo[b]thiophene dicarboxyimido-7,2-tricyclo[3,3,1,1]decane), N-cyanomethyl-6,7-dihydro-2-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4-methylspiro(5,6benzo[b]thiophenedicarboxyimido-7,2-tricyclo[3,3,1,1]decane), N-cyanomethyl-6,7-dihydro-4-methylspiro(5,6-benzo[b]thiophenedicarboxyimido-7,2-tricyclo[3,3,1,1]decane), 6,7-dihydro-N-methoxycarbonylmethyl-4methyl-2-phenylspiro(5,6-benzo[b]thiophene-dicarboxyimido-7,2-tricyclo[3,3,1,1]decane
• chromene compounds preferably used in the invention include spiro[norbornane-2,2′-[2H]benzo[h]chromene], spiro[bicyclo[3,3,1]nonane-9,2′-[2H]benzo[f]chromene], 7′-methoxyspiro[bicyclo-[3,3,1]nonane-9,2′-[2H]benzo[f]chromene], 7′-methoxyspiro-[norbornane-2,2′-[2H]benzo[f]chromene], 2,2-dimethyl-7-octoxy[2H]benzo[h]chromene-6)spiro[2-bicyclo(3,3,1)-nonene-9,2′-(2H)benzo(h)chromene], and spiro[2-bicyclo-(3,3,1)nonene-9,2′-(2H)benzo(f)chromene].
• diarylethene compounds preferably used in the invention include the following compounds.
• spiropyran spiropyran, naphthopyran, spiroxazine compounds, and the compound (A) as above-mentioned are preferred, and spiropyran compounds arc particularly preferred.
• the photochromic compounds in the invention can be used alone but two or more compounds may be used in combination.
• the photochromic compounds are preferably used in an amount of from 1 ⁇ mol/m 2 to 10 mmol/m 2 , more preferably from 10 ⁇ mol/m 2 to 1 mmol/m 2 . When the photochromic compounds are used in this range, good visibility can be obtained.
• lithographic printing plate precursor of the invention (1) an on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor, and (2) a non-processing (non-development),type lithographic printing plate precursor as described below are exemplified.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor having an image-recording layer whose solubility or dispersibility in a fountain solution and/or ink changes by exposure, or an image-recording layer whose adhering property to the adjoining layer having different affinity to a fountain solution or ink changes by exposure, and capable of development on a printing machine by feeding a fountain solution and/or ink to the plate after image exposure.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor having an image-recording layer whose affinity with a fountain solution or ink changes on the surface by exposure and capable of printing without being accompanied by the removal of an image-recording layer after image exposure.
• lithographic printing plate precursor in the invention and a printing method using the lithographic printing plate precursor are described in detail below.
• the image-recording layer in the invention can further contain either of (A) an image-forming component using radical polymerization or (B) an image-forming component utilizing thermal fusion and thermal reaction of a hydrophobitizing precursor can be used.
• An image-forming component making use of radical polymerization contains a radical polymerizable compound and a radical generator. Since radical polymerization components are high in image-forming sensitivity, exposure energy can be effectively shared for the formation of a printing out image, so that radical polymerization components are more preferred for obtaining a printing out image having a great difference in brightness of colors.
• the image-recording layer in the invention to contain radical polymerizable compounds (hereinafter also referred to as merely polymerizable compounds).
• the radical polymerizable compounds usable in the invention are addition polymerizable compounds having at least one ethylenic unsaturated double bond, and they are selected from the compounds having at least one, preferably two or more, ethylenic maturated bond. These compounds are well known in the field of this industry, and they can be used with no particular restriction in the invention.
• polymerizable compounds have chemical forms of e.g., a monomer or a prepolymer, i.e., a dimer, a trimer or an oligomer, and a mixture and a copolymer of them.
• unsated carboxylic acids e.g., acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, crotonic acid, isocrotonic acid, maleic acid, etc.
• esters and amides of these unsaturated carboxylic acids are exemplified, and preferably esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids and aliphatic polyhydric alcohol compounds, and amides of unsaturated carboxylic acids and aliphatic polyhydric amine compounds are used.
• the addition reaction products of unsaturated carboxylic acid esters and amides having a nucleophilic substituent such as a hydroxyl group, an amino group or a mercapto group with monofunctional or polyfunctional isocyanates or epoxies are also preferably used.
• the addition reaction products of unsaturated carboxylic acid esters or amides having an electrophilic substituent such as an isocyanate group or an epoxy group with monofunctional or polyfunctional alcohols, amines or thiols, and the substitution reaction products of unsaturated carboxylic acid esters or amides having a separable substituent such as a halogen group or a tosyloxy group with monofunctional or polyfunctional alcohols, amines or thiols are also preferably used.
• the specific examples of the monomers of esters of aliphatic polyhydric alcohol compounds and unsaturated carboxylic acids include, as acrylic esters, ethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, 1,3-butanediol diacrylate, tetramethylene glycol diacrylate, propylene glycol diacrylate, neopentyl glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, trimethylolpropane tri(acryloyloxypropyl) ether, trimethylolethane triacrylate, hexanediol diacrylate, 1,4-cyclohexanediol diacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, pentaerythritol diacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol diacrylate, dipentaerythritol hexaacrylate,
• the examples include tetramethylene glycol dimethacrylate, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, neopentyl glycol dimethacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, trimethylolethane trimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,3-butanediol dimethacrylate, hexanediol dimethacrylate, pentaerythritol dimethacrylate, pentaerythritol trimethacrylate, pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate, dipentaerythritol dimethacrylate, dipentaerythritol hexamethacrylate, sorbitol trimethacrylate, sorbitol tetramethacrylate, bis[p-(3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxypropoxy)-phenyl]dimethylmethane, bis[p-
• the examples include ethylene glycol diitaconate, propylene glycol diitaconate, 1,3butanediol diitaconate, 1,4-butanediol diitaconate, tetramethylene glycol diitaconate, pentaerythritol diitaconate, sorbitol tetraitaconate, etc.
• the examples include ethylene glycol dicrotonate, tetramethylene glycol dicrotonate, pentaerythritol dicrotonate, sorbitol tetradicrotonate, etc.
• the examples include ethylene glycol diisocrotonate, pentaerythritol diisocrotonate, sorbitol tetraisocrotonate, etc.
• maleic esters the examples include ethylene glycol dimaleate, triethylene glycol dimaleate, pentaerythritol dimaleate, sorbitol tetramaleate, etc.
• esters e.g., the aliphatic alcohol esters disclosed in JP-B-51-47334 and JP-A-57-196231, the esters having an aromatic skeleton disclosed in JP-A-59-5240, JP-A-59-5241 and JP-A-2-226149, and the esters containing an amino group disclosed in JP-A-1-165613 are also preferably used in the invention.
• the above ester monomers can also be used as mixtures.
• the specific examples of the amide monomers of aliphatic polyhydric amine compounds and unsaturated carboxylic acids include methylenebis-acrylamide, methylenebis-methacrylamide, 1,6-hexamethylenebis-acrylamide, 1,6-hexamethylenebis-methacrylamide, diethylenetriaminetris-acrylamide, xylylenebis-acrylamide, xylylenebis-methacrylamide, etc.
• the amide monomers having a cyclohexylene structure disclosed in JP-B-54-21726 can be exemplified.
• urethane-based addition polymerizable compounds manufactured by the addition reaction of isocyanate and hydroxyl groups are also preferably used.
• a vinyl urethane compound containing two or more polymerizable vinyl groups in one molecule obtained by adding vinyl monomer having a hydroxyl group represented by the following formula (a) to a polyisocyanate compound having two or more isocyanate groups in one molecule is exemplified.
• urethane acrylates disclosed in JP-A-51-37193, JP-B-2-32293 and JP-B-2-16765 and the urethane compounds having an ethylene oxide skeleton disclosed in JP-B-58-49860, JP-B-56-17654, JP-B-62-39417 and JP-B-62-39418 arc also preferably used in the invention.
• extremely high speed photopolymerizable compositions can be obtained by using addition polymerizable compounds having an amino structure or a sulfide structure in the molecule as disclosed in JP-A-63-277653, JP-A-43-260909 and JP-A-1-105238.
• polyfunctional acrylates and methacrylates such as polyester acrylates, and epoxy acrylates obtained by reacting epoxy resins with (meth)acrylic acids as disclosed in JP-A-48-4183, JP-B-49-43191 and JP-B-52-30490 can be exemplified.
• the specific unsaturated compounds disclosed in JP-B-46-43946, JP-B-1-40337 and JP-B-1-40336, and the vinyl sulfonic acid compounds disclosed in JP-A-2-25493 can also be exemplified.
• the structures containing a perfluoroalkyl group disclosed in JP-A-61-22048 are preferably used.
• the compounds introduced as the photo-curable monomers and oligomers into Bulletin of Nippon Setchaku Kyokai Vol. 20, No. 7, pp. 300-308 (1984) can also be used.
• these addition polymerizable compounds e.g., what structure is to be used, whether the compounds are to be used alone or in combination, or what an amount is to be used, can be optionally set up according to the final design of the performances of the lithographic printing plate precursor. For example, these conditions are selected on the basis of the following aspects.
• the structure containing many unsaturated groups per a molecule is preferred and bifunctional or higher functional groups are preferred in many cases.
• trifunctional or higher functional groups arc preferred, and it is also effective to use different factional numbers and different polymerizable groups (e.g., acrylic ester, methacrylic ester, styrene compounds, vinyl ether compounds) in combination to control both speed and strength
• the selection and usage of the addition polymerizable compounds are important actors for the compatibility with other components in an image-recording layer (e.g., a binder polymer, a polymerization initiator, a colorant) and dispersibility, for example, in some cases compatibility can be improved by using low purity compounds or two or more compounds in combination. Further, it is also possible to select a compound having a specific structure for the purpose of improving the adhesion property to a support and an overcoat layer described later.
• Polymerizable compounds are used preferably in an amount of from 5 to 80 mass % to the nonvolatile components in an image-recording layer, and more preferably from 25 to 75 mass %. Polymerizable compounds may be used alone, or two or more compounds may be used in combination. In addition, the structure, blending and addition amount of addition polymerizable compounds can be properly selected in view of the degree of polymerization hindrance by oxygen, resolution, a fogging property, refractive index change and surface stickiness and, further, in some cases, a layer constitution and a coating method of undercoating and upper coating may be taken.
• a radical polymerization initiator for use in the invention is a compound capable of generating a radical by light or heat, or both energies, and initiating and accelerating polymerization of a compound having polymerizable unsaturated groups.
• the polymerization initiators that can be used in the invention well-known thermal polymerization initiators, compounds having a bond small in bond-dissociating energy, and photopolymerization initiators are exemplified.
• the radical polymerization initiators that can be preferably used in the invention are compounds capable of generating radicals by heat energy.
• the radical polymerization initiators for use in the invention are specifically described below.
• the radical polymerization initiators can be used alone or in combination of two or more.
• radical polymerization initiators e.g., organic halogen compounds, carbonyl compounds, organic peroxides, azo-based compounds, azide compounds, metallocene compounds, hexaarylbiimidazole compounds, organic boron compounds, disulfonc compounds, oxime ester compounds, and onium salt compounds are exemplified.
• organic halogen compounds specifically, the compounds described in Wakabayashi et al., Bull. Chem. Soc. Japan, 42, 2924 (1969), U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,815, JP-B-46-4605, JP-A-48-36281, JP-A-53-133428, JP-A-55-32070, JP-A-60-239736, JP-A-61-169835, JP-A-61-169837, JP-A-62-58241, JP-A-62-212401, JP-A-63-70243, JP-A-63-298339, and M. P. Hutt, Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 1 (No. 3) (1970) are exemplified. Of these compounds, oxazole compounds and s-triazine compounds substituted with a trihalomethyl group are preferably used.
• s-triazine derivatives in which at least one mono-, di- or tri-halogen-substituted methyl group is bonded to the s-triazine ring, specifically, e.g., 2,4,6-tris(monochloromethyl)-s-triazine, 2,4,6-tris(dichloro-methyl)-s-triazine, 2,4,6-tris(trichloromethyl)-s-triazine, 2-methyl-4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-s-triazine, 2-n-propyl-4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-s-triazine, 2-( ⁇ , ⁇ , ⁇ -trichloro-ethyl)-4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-s-triazine, 2-phenyl-4,6-bis(trichloromethyl)-s-triazine, 2-(p-methoxyphenyl)-4,6-bis(trichloro)
• benzophenone derivatives e.g., benzophenone, Michler's ketone, 2-methylbenzophenone, 3-methylbenzophenone, 4-methylbenzophenone, 2-chlorobenzo-phenone, 4-bromobenzophenone, and 2-carboxybenzophenone
• acetophenone derivatives e.g., 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl-acetophenone, 2,2-diethoxyacetophenone, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, ⁇ -hydroxy-2-methylphenylpropanone, 1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl-(p-isopropylphenyl) ketone, 1-hydroxy-1-(p-dodecylphenyl) ketone, 2-methyl-[4′-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-morpholino-1-propanone, and 1,1,1-trichloromethyl-(p-butyl-phenyl) ketone,
• the azo-based compounds the azo compounds disclosed in JP-A-8-108621 can be used.
• organic peroxides e.g., trimethylcyclohexane peroxide, acetylacetone peroxide, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)cyclo-hexane, 2,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy)butane, tert-butyl hydro-peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, diisopropylbenzene hydro-peroxide, 2,5-dimethylhexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl hydroperoxide, tert-butylcumyl peroxide, dicumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)-hexane, 2,5-oxanoyl peroxide, succinic acid peroxide, benzoyl peroxid
• various titanocene compounds disclosed in JP-A-59-152396, JP-A-61-151197, JP-A-63-41484, JP-A-2-249, JP-A-2-4705 and JP-A-5-83588 e.g., dicyclopentadienyl-Ti-bis-phenyl, dicyclopentadienyl-Ti-bis-2,6-difluorophen-1-yl, dicyclopentadienyl-Ti-bis-2,4-difluorophen-1-yl, dicyclopentadienyl-Ti-bis-2,4,6-trifluorophen-1-yl, dicyclopentadienyl-Ti-bis-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophen-1-yl, dicyclopentadienyl-Ti-bis-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophen-1-yl, dimethylcyclopenta
• hexaarylbiimidazole compounds various compounds disclosed in JP-B-6-29285, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,479,185, 4,311,783 and 4,622,286, specifically, e.g., 2,2′-bis(o-chlorophenyl)-4,4′,5,5′-tetraphenylbiimidazole, 2,2′-bis(o-bromophenyl)-4,4′,5,5′-tetraphenylbiimidazole, 2,2′-bis(o,p-dichloro-phenyl)-4,4′,5,5′-tetraphenylbiimidazole, 2,2′-bis-(o-chlorophenyl)-4,4′,5,5′-tetra(m-methoxyphenyl)biimidazole, 2,2′-bis(o,o′-dichlorophenyl)-4,4′,5,5′-tetraphen
• organic boron compounds e.g., the organic borates disclosed in JP-A-62-143044, JP-A-62-150242, JP-A-9-188685, JP-A-9-188686, JP-A-9-188710, JP-A-2000-131837, JP-A-2002-107916, Japanese Patent No. 2764769, JP-A-2002-116539, and Kunz, Martin, “Rad Tech '98 Proceeding Apr.
• onium salt compounds onium salts, e.g., the diazonium salts described in S. I. Schlesinger, Photogr. Sci. Eng., 18, 387 (1974), and T. S. Bal et al., Polymer 21, 423 (1980), the ammonium salts disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,055 and JP-A-4-365049, the phosphonium salts disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,069,055 and 4,069,056, the iodonium salt disclosed in EP 104,143, U.S. Pat. Nos.
• the oxime ester compounds and the onium salts are exemplified.
• the onium salts preferably used in the invention are onium salts represented by the following formulae (RI-I) to (RI-III).
• Ar 11 represents an aryl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, which may have from 1 to 6 substituents, and as the preferred substituents, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an alkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylamido group or arylamido group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a thioalkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl
• Z 11 ⁇ represents a monovalent anion, and specifically a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion, a thiosulfonate ion and a sulfate ion are exemplified.
• a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion and a sulfinate ion are preferred.
• Ar 21 and Ar 22 each represents an aryl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, which may have from 1 to 6 substituents, and as the preferred substituents, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an alkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylamido group or arylamido group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a thioalkyl group having from 1 to
• Z 21 ⁇ represents a monovalent anion, and specifically a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a hexafluoro-phosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfinate ion, a sulfinate ion, a thiosulfonate ion and a sulfate ion are exemplified.
• a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoro-borate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion and a carboxylate ion are preferred.
• R 31 , R 32 and R 33 each represents an aryl, alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group having 20 or less carbon atoms, which may have from 1 to 6 substituents. Above all, in view of stability and reactivity, an aryl group is preferred.
• an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms an alkenyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an aryloxy group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an alkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a dialkylamino group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkylamido group or arylamido group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, a cyano group, a sulfonyl group, a thioalkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, and a thioaryl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms are exemplified.
• Z 31 ⁇ represents a monovalent anion, and specifically a halogen ion, a perchlorate ion, a hexafluoro-phosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion, a thiosulfonate ion, and a sulfate ion are exemplified.
• a perchlorate ion, a hexafluorophosphate ion, a tetrafluoroborate ion, a sulfonate ion, a sulfinate ion and a carboxylate ion are preferred.
• carboxylate ions the carboxylate ions disclosed in JP-A-2001-343742 are exemplified, and the carboxylate ions disclosed in JP-A-2002-148790 are particularly preferred.
• Radical polymerization initiators can be used preferably in an amount of from 0.1 to 50 mass % to the total solids content constituting the image-recording layer, more preferably from 0.5 to 30 mass %, and still more preferably from 1 to 20 mass %. By using polymerization initiators in this range, good sensitivity and soiling resistance of a non-image area in printing can be obtained. Radical polymerization initiators may be used alone, or two or more kinds of initiators may be used in combination. These radical polymerization initiators may be added with other components to the same layer, or another layer may be provided for radical polymerization initiators
• additives such as binder polymers, surfactants, polymerization inhibitors, higher fatty acid derivatives, plasticizers, inorganic fine particles and low molecular weight hydrophilic compounds may further be added to the radical polymerization system image-recording layer of the invention. These additives are described below.
• Binder polymers can be used in the image-recording layer in the invention.
• Binder polymers can be used in the invention with no restriction, and linear organic polymers having a film-forming property are preferably used.
• the examples of such binder polymers include acrylic resins, polyvinyl acetal resins, polyurethane resins, polyurea resins, polyimide resins, polyamide resins, epoxy resins, methacrylic resins, polystyrene resins, novolak type phenolic resins, polyester resin, synthetic rubber and natural rubber.
• binder polymers have a crosslinking property for the purpose of improving the layer strength of an image area.
• a crosslinkable property it is effective to introduce a crosslinkable functional group such as an ethylenic unsaturated bond into the main chain or side chain of the binder polymers.
• the crosslinkable functional group may be introduced by copolymeration
• poly-1,4-butadiene and poly-1,4-isoprene are exemplified.
• polymers having an ethylenic unsaturated bond in the side chain of the molecule polymers of esters or amides of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, wherein the residue of the ester or amide (R of —COOR or —CONHR) has an ethylenic unsaturated bond are exemplified.
• the examples of the residues having an ethylenic unsaturated bond include, —(CH 2 ) n CR 1 ⁇ CR 2 R 3 , —(CH 2 O) n CH 2 CR 1 ⁇ CR 2 R 3 , —(CH 2 CH 2 O) n CH 2 CR 1 ⁇ CR 2 R 3 , —(CH 2 ) n NH—CO—O—CH 2 CR 1 ⁇ CR 2 R 3 , —(CH 2 ) n —O—CO—CR 1 ⁇ CR 2 R 3 and —(CH 2 CH 2 O) 2 —X
• R 1 , R 2 and R 3 each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an allyl group having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl group, an alkoxyl group or an aryloxy group, and R 1 and R 2 or R 3 may be bonded to each other to form a ring
• n represents an integer of from 1 to
• ester residues include —CH 2 CH ⁇ CH 2 (disclosed in JP-B-7-21633), —CH 2 CH 2 O—CH 2 CH ⁇ CH 2 , —CH 2 C(CH 3 ) ⁇ CH 2 , —CH 2 CH ⁇ CH—C 6 H 5 , —CH 2 CH 2 OCOCH ⁇ CH—C 6 H 5 , —CH 2 CH 2 —NHCOO—CH 2 CH ⁇ CH 2 and —CH 2 CH 2 O—X (wherein X represents a dicyclopentadienyl residue).
• amido residues include —CH 2 CH ⁇ CH 2 , —CH 2 CH 2 —Y (wherein Y represents a cyclohexene residue), and —CH 2 CH 2 —OCO—CH ⁇ CH 2 .
• the atoms in the polymer are extracted by free radicals and polymer radicals arc grown, and the polymer radicals are bonded to each other, whereby crosslinking is formed between the polymer molecules, so that the binder polymer is hardened.
• the content of crosslinkable groups in a binder polymer is preferably from 0.1 to 10.0 mmol per gram of the binder polymer, more preferably from 1.0 to 7.0 mmol, and most preferably from 2.0 to 5.5 mmol. Good sensitivity and good storage stability can be obtained with this range of the content of crosslinkable groups.
• binder polymers have high solubility and dispersibility in ink and/or a fountain solution.
• binder polymers are preferably lipophilic, and for improving the solubility and dispersibility in a fountain solution, binder polymers are preferably hydrophilic. Accordingly, in the invention, it is also effective to use a lipophilic binder polymer and a hydrophilic binder polymer in combination.
• binder polymers having a hydrophilic group e.g., a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylate group, a hydroxyethyl group, a polyoxyethyl group, a hydroxypropyl group, a polyoxypropyl group, an amino group, an aminoethyl group, an aminopropyl group, an ammonium group, an amido group, a carboxymethyl group, a sulfonic acid group and a phosphoric acid group are preferably exemplified.
• a hydrophilic group e.g., a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylate group, a hydroxyethyl group, a polyoxyethyl group, a hydroxypropyl group, a polyoxypropyl group, an amino group, an aminoethyl group, an aminopropyl group, an ammonium group, an amido group, a carboxymethyl group, a sul
• hydrophilic binder polymers include gum arabic, casein, gelatin, starch derivative, carboxymethyl cellulose and the sodium salt thereof cellulose acetate, sodium alginate, vinyl acetate-maleic acid copolymers, styrene-maleic acid copolymers, polyacrylic acids and the salts thereof, polymethacrylic acids and the salts thereof, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxyethyl acrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxypropyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxypropyl acrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyl acrylate, polyethylene glycols, hydroxypropylene polymers, polyvinyl alcohols, hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate having a hydrolysis degree of
• the binder polymers preferably have a mass average molecular weight of preferably 5,000 or higher, more preferably from 10,000 to 300,000, and a number average molecular weight of preferably 1,000 or higher, more preferably from 2,000 to 250,000.
• the polydisperse degree is preferably from 1.1 to 10.
• the binder polymers may be any of random polymers, block polymers and graft polymers, but random polymers are preferred.
• the binder polymers may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more.
• the binder polymers can be synthesized by conventionally well known methods.
• the solvents for use in the synthesis e.g., tetrahydrofuran, ethylene dichloride, cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, 2-methoxyethyl at, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, 1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, toluene, ethyl acetate, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, dimethyl sulfoxide, and water are exemplified. These solvents may be used alone or two or more solvents may be used as a mixture.
• radical polymerization initiators used in the synthesis of the binder polymers well known compounds, e.g., azo initiators and peroxide initiators can be used.
• the binder polymers are used in an amount of preferably from 10 to 90 mass % to the total solids content of the image-recording layer, more preferably from 20 to 80 mass %, and still more preferably from 30 to 70 mass %. When the binder polymers are used in this range, preferred strength of an image area and good image-forming property can be obtained.
• a polymerizable compound and the binder polymer in mass ratio of from 1/9 to 7/3.
• a surfactant in an image-recording layer to accelerate the on-press development property at the time of initiating printing and to improve the conditions of coating surface.
• nonionic surfactants anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, ampholytic surfactants and fluorine surfactants awe used.
• Surfactants may be used alone or two or more surfactants may be used in combination.
• nonionic surfactants for use in the invention are not particularly restricted and conventionally well known surfactants can be used, e.g., polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene polystyryl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, glycerol fatty acid partial esters, sorbitan fatty acid partial esters, pentaerythritol fatty acid partial esters, propylene glycol fatty acid monoesters, sucrose fatty acid partial esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid partial esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitol fatty acid partial esters, polyethylene glycol fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid partial esters, polyoxyethylenated castor oils, polyoxyethylene glycerol fatty acid partial esters, fatty acid diethanolamides, N,N-bis-2-hydroxyalkylamines, polyoxyethylene alkyl
• anionic surfactants for use in the invention are not particularly restricted and conventionally well known surfactants can be used, e.g. fatty acid salts, abietates, hydroxyalkanesulfonates, alkanesulfonates, dialkylsulfo-succinic esters, straight chain alkylbenzenesulfonates, branched chain alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkylnaphthalene-sulfonates, alkylphenoxy polyoxyethylene propyl sulfonates, polyoxyethylene alkyl sulfophenyl ethers, sodium N-methyl-N-oleyltaurine, disodium N-alkylsulfosuccinic acid monoamide, petroleum sulfonates, sulfated beef tallow, sulfuric esters of fatty acid alkyl ester, alkylsulfuric esters, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfuric esters, fatty acid monogly
• the cationic surfactants for use in the invention are not particularly restricted and conventionally well known surfactants can be used, e.g., alkylamine salts, quaternary ammonium salts, polyoxyethyene alkylamine salts, and polyethylene polyamine derivatives are exemplified.
• ampholytic surfactants for use in the invention are not particularly restricted and conventionally well known surfactants can be used, e.g., carboxybetaines, amino-carboxylic acids, sulfobetaines, aminosulfuric esters and imidazolines are exemplified.
• polyoxyethylene can be taken as “polyoxyalkylene” such as polyoxymethylene, polyoxy-propylene, and polyoxybutylene, and these surfactants can also be used in the invention.
• fluorine surfactants containing a perfluoroalkyl group in the molecule are exemplified.
• anionic surfactants e.g., perfluoroalkylcarboxylate, perfluoroalkylsulfonate, and perfluoroalkylphosphate
• ampholytic surf s e.g., perfluoroalkylbetaine
• cationic surfactants e.g., perfluoroalkyltrimethylammonium salt
• nonionic surfactants e.g., perfluoroalkylamine oxide, perfluoroalkyl ethylene oxide addition products, oligomers coining a perfluoroalkyl group and a hydrophilic group, oligomers containing a perfluoroalkyl group and a lipophilic group, oligomers containing a perfluoroalkyl group, a hydrophilic group, and a lipophilic group, oligomers containing a perflu
• Surfactants can be used alone, or two or more surfactants can be used in combination.
• Surfactants are preferably used in an amount of from 0.001 to 10 mass % to the total solids content of the image recording layer, more preferably from 0.01 to 7 mass %.
• thermal polymerization inhibitor for preventing unnecessary thermal polymerization of a radical polymerizable compound during manufacture or preservation of an image-recording layer, it is preferred that a small amount of thermal polymerization inhibitor be added to an image-recording layer in the invention
• thermal polymerization inhibitors e.g., hydroquinone, p-methoxyphenol, di-t-butyl-p-cresol, pyrogallol, t-butylcatechol, benzoquinone, 4,4′-thiobis(3-methyl-6-t-butylphenol), 2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-t-butylphenol), and N-nitroso-N-phenylhydroxylamine aluminum salt are exemplified.
• the amount of the thermal polymerization inhibitor to be added to an image-recording layer is preferably from about 0.01 to about 5 mass % to all the solids content of the image recording layer.
• higher fatty acid derivatives e.g., behenic acid and behenic acid amide
• the addition amount of the higher fatty acid derivatives is preferably from about 0.1 to about 10 mass % to the total solids content of the image-recording layer.
• An image-recording layer in the present invention may contain a plasticizer to improve an on-press developing property.
• plasticizers include phthalic esters, e-g., dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, octylcapryl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, ditridecyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate, and diallyl phthalate; glycol esters, e.g., dimethyl glycol phthalate, ethyl phthalyl ethyl glycolate, methyl phthalyl ethyl glycolate, butyl phthalyl butyl glycolate, and triethylene glycol dicaprylate; phosphoric esters, e.g., tricresyl phosphate and triphenyl phosphate; aliphatic dibasic esters, e.g., diisobutyl adipate, di
• the amount of the plasticizer is preferably about 30 mass % or less to all the solids content of the image recording layer.
• an image-recording layer may contain inorganic fine particles.
• inorganic fine particles e.g., silica, alumina, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium carbonate, calcium alginate and mixtures of these fine particles are preferably used. Even when inorganic fine particles are not light/heat convertible, they can be used for layer strengthening and the reinforcement of interfacial adhesion by surface roughening.
• the average particle size of the inorganic fine particles is preferably from 5 nm to 10 ⁇ m, more preferably from 0.5 to 3 ⁇ m.
• the inorganic fine particles are stably dispersed in an image-recording layer, and the layer strength of the image-recording layer can be sufficiently maintained, so that a non-image area difficult to be soiled and excellent in hydrophilicity can be formed.
• the addition amount of the inorganic fine particles is preferably 20 mass % or less to all the solids content of the image recording layer, more preferably 10 mass % or less.
• an image-recording layer in the invention may contain hydrophilic low molecular weight compounds.
• hydrophilic low molecular weight compounds water-soluble organic compounds, such as glycols, e.g., ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, and ether or ester derivatives of these glycols, polyhydroxies, e.g., glycerol and pentaerythritol, organic amines, e.g., triethanolamine, diethanolamine and monoethanolamine, and salts of these organic amines, organic sulfonic acids, e.g., toluenesulfonic acid and benzenesulfonic acid, and salts of these organic sulfonic acids, organic phosphonic acids, e.g., phenyl-phosphonic acid, and salts of phenylphosphonic acid, and
• some embodiments can be used in the invention.
• One means is to dissolve the constitutional components in an appropriate solvent and coating as disclosed in JP-A-2002-287334, and another means is to use a microgel.
• a microgel a microcapsule is exemplified, and the microcapsule encapsulates the constitutional components and is added to an image-recording layer (a microcapsule-type image-recording layer) as disclosed in JP-A-2001-277740 and JP-A-2001-277742.
• the constitutional components may also be contained outside of the microcapsules.
• a compound causing color change by oxidation or reduction and an infrared absorber (a reaction system for printing out) to be combined with the compound are contained in the same microcapsule in the light of obtaining a printing out image having good visibility.
• reaction systems for forming a print image such as a radical polymerizable compound and a radical polymerization initiator, are added to a microcapsule different from the microcapsule containing the compound for printing out and the infrared absorber to be combined, or added to the outside of the microcapsule to be separated from the printing out system to avoid the hindrance of reactions each other.
• Constitutional components of an image-recording layer can be microencapsulated by well-known methods.
• microcapsule walls preferably used in the invention have a three dimensional crosslinking structure and a property of swelling by a solvent, and the microcapsule having the microcapsule wall is an embodiment of the microgel.
• polyurea, polyurethane, polyester, polycarbonate, polyamide, and the mixtures of these compounds are preferably used as the microcapsule wall materials, and polyurea and polyurethane are particularly preferred.
• Compounds having crosslinkable functional groups such as ethylenic unsaturated bonds that can be introduced into the above binder polymers may be introduced into microcapsule walls.
• the average particle size of the microcapsules is preferably from 0.01 to 3,0 ⁇ m, more preferably from 0.05 to 2.0 ⁇ m, and particularly preferably from 0.10 to 1.0 ⁇ m. Good resolution and aging stability can be obtained in this range of the particle size.
• An image-recording layer in the invention is formed by coating a coating solution prepared by dispersing or dissolving the above necessary components in a solvent.
• a solvent ethylene dichloride, cyclohexanone, methyl ethyl ketone, methanol, ethanol, propanol, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, 2-methoxyethyl acetate, 1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate, dimethoxyethane, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethyl-formamide, tetramethylurea, N-methylpyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, sulforan, ⁇ -butyrolactone, toluene, and water are exemplified, but the solvents are not limited thereto. These solvents are used alone or as mixture.
• the concentration of the solids content of the coating solution
• an image-recording layer in the invention by preparing a plurality of coating solutions by dispersing or dissolving the same or different components in the same or different solvents, and repeating the coating and drying a plurality of times.
• the coating amount of an image-recording layer (solids content) obtained on a support after coating and drying is generally preferably from 0.3 to 3.0 g/m 2 , although the coating amount differs depending upon the usage of the image-recording layer. Good sensitivity and good layer properties of a image-recording layer can be obtained in this range of the coating amount
• various coating methods can be used, e.g., bar coating, rotary coating, spray coating, curtain coating, dip coating, air knife coating, blade coating, and roll coating can be used.
• Hydrophobitizing precursors in the invention are fine particles capable of converting a hydrophilic image-recording layer to hydrophobic upon heating.
• Such fine particles are preferably at least one kind of fine particles selected from thermoplastic polymer fine particles and thermo-reactive polymer fine particles.
• the fine particles may be microcapsules encapsulating a compound having a thermo-reactive group.
• thermoplastic polymer fine particles used in the invention the thermoplastic polymer fine particles described in Research Disclosure No. 33303, January (1992), JP-A-9-123387, JP-A-9-131850, JP-A-9-171249 JP-A-9-171250, and EP 931647 can be preferably exemplified.
• the specific examples of the polymers constituting these polymer fine particles include homopolymers or copolymers of monomers such as ethylene, styrene, vinyl chloride, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, vinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile, and vinyl carbazole, and mixtures thereof. Of these polymers, polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate are more preferred.
• the average particle size of the thermoplastic polymer fine particles for use in the invention is preferably from 0.01 to 2.0 ⁇ m.
• a method of dissolving the above compounds in a water-insoluble organic solvent, mixing and emulsifying the solution with an aqueous solution containing a dispersant, and applying heat to the emulsion to thereby solidify the emulsion to a fine particle state with volatizing the organic solvent (a dissolution dispersion method) can be used, in addition to an emulsion polymerization method and a suspension polymerization method.
• thermosetting polymer fine particles and polymer fine particles having a thermo-reactive group are exemplified
• thermosetting polymer fine particles resins having a phenolic skeleton, urea resins (e.g., resins obtained by the resinification of urea or urea derivatives, e.g., methoxymethylated urea, with aldehydes, e.g., formaldehyde), melamine resins (e.g., resins obtained by the resinification of melamine or melamine derivatives with aldehydes, e.g., formaldehyde), alkyd resins, unsaturated polyester resins, polyurethane resins, and epoxy resins can be exemplified.
• urea resins e.g., resins obtained by the resinification of urea or urea derivatives, e.g., methoxymethylated urea
• aldehydes e.g., formaldehyde
• melamine resins e.g., resins obtained by the resinification of melamine or melamine derivatives with
• phenolic resins obtained by resinifying phenol or cresol with aldehydes, e.g., formaldehyde, hydroxystyrene resins, and polymers and copolymers of methacrylamide or acrylamide or methacrylate or acrylate having a phenolic skeleton such as N-(p-hydroxyphenyl)methacrylamide and p-hydroxyphenyl methacrylate can be exemplified.
• thermosetting polymer fine particles for use in the invention is preferably from 0.01 to 2.0 ⁇ m. These thermosetting polymer fine particles can be easily obtained by a dissolution dispersion method, but a thermosetting polymer may be made fine particles when the thermosetting polymer is synthesized. The invention is not limited to these methods.
• thermo-reactive group of the polymer fine particles having a thermo-reactive group used in the invention functional groups showing any reaction can be used so long as chemical bonds are formed.
• Ethylenic unsaturated groups showing a radical polymerization reaction e.g., an acryloyl group, a methacryloyl group, a vinyl group, an allyl group, etc.
• cationic polymerizable groups e.g., a vinyl group, a vinyloxy group, etc.
• isocyanate groups showing an addition reaction or blocks thereof, epoxy groups, vinyloxy groups and functional groups having active hydrogen atoms of the other side compounds of the reaction (e.g., an amino group, a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, etc.), carboxyl groups showing a condensation reaction and hydroxyl groups and amino groups of the other side compounds of the reaction, and acid anhydrides showing a ring opening addition reaction and amino groups and hydroxyl groups of the other side compounds of the reaction can be preferably exemplified.
• These functional groups may be introduced into polymer fine particles in the time of polymerization or they may be added after polymerization by a polymer reaction.
• the monomers having these functional groups are emulsion polymerized or suspension polymerized.
• the specific examples of the monomers having the functional groups include allyl methacrylate, allyl acrylate, vinyl methacrylate, vinyl acrylate, 2-(vinyloxy)ethyl methacrylate, p-vinyloxystyrene, p-[2-(vinyloxy)ethyl]-styrene, glycidyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate, 2-isocyanate ethyl methacrylate or block isocyanate thereof by alcohol, 2-isocyanate ethyl acrylate or block isocyanate thereof by alcohol, 2-aminoethyl methacrylate, 2-aminoethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic an
• copolymers of these monomers and monomers copolymerizable with these monomers not having thermo-reactive groups can also be used.
• copolymerizable monomers not having thermo-reactive groups styrene, alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile and vinyl acetate can be exemplified, for instance, but monomers not having thermo-reactive groups are not limited to these monomers.
• thermo-reactive groups are introduced after polymerization
• the polymer reactions disclosed in WO 96/34316 can be exemplified.
• polymers that are coalesced with each other by heat are preferred, and those having hydrophilic surfaces and dispersible in water are particularly preferred. It is preferred that the contact angle of a film (a water droplet in air) prepared by coating only polymer fine particles and drying by a temperature lower than the solidification temperature is lower than the contact angle of a film (a water droplet in air) prepared by drying by a temperature higher than the solidification temperature.
• a hydrophilic polymer or oligomer e.g., polyvinyl alcohol or polyethylene glycol, or a low molecular weight compound be adsorbed onto the surfaces of the polymer fine particles.
• the methods of surface hydrophilization treatment are not restricted thereto.
• the solidification temperature of these polymer fine particles having thermo-reactive groups is preferably 70° C. or higher, but considering the aging stability, 100° C. or higher is more preferred.
• the average particle size of the polymer fine particles is preferably from 0.01 to 2.0 ⁇ m, more preferably from 0.05 to 2.0 ⁇ m, and particularly preferably from 0.1 to 1.0 ⁇ m. Good resolution and aging stability can be obtained in this range of average particle size.
• thermo-reactive groups in the microcapsules encapsulating a compound having a thermo-reactive group for use in the invention the same thermo-reactive groups as used in the polymer fine particles having thermo-reactive groups are preferably exemplified.
• Compounds having a thermo-reactive group are described below.
• the same compounds as shown in the radical polymerizable microcapsules are preferably used.
• the compounds disclosed in JP-A-2002-29162 are exemplified.
• the specific examples tetramethylene glycol divinyl ether, trimethylolpropane trivinyl ether, tetraethylene glycol divinyl ether, pentacrythritol divinyl ether, pentaerythritol trivinyl ether, pentaerythritol tetravinyl ether, 1,4-bis[2-(vinyloxy)-ethyloxy]benzene, 1,2-bis[2-(vinyloxy)ethyloxy]benzene, 1,3-bis[2-(vinyloxy)ethyloxy]benzene, 1,3,5-tris[2-(vinyloxy)ethyloxy]benzene, 4,4′-bis[2-(vinyloxy)ethyloxy]-biphenyl, 4,4′-bis[2-(vinyloxy)ethyloxy]-b
• compounds having 2 or more epoxy groups are preferred, and glycidyl ether compounds obtained by the reaction of polyhydric alcohol or polyhydric phenol with epichlorohydrin and prepolymers thereof, polymers and copolymers of glycidyl acrylate or glycidyl methacrylate can be exemplified.
• the specific examples thereof include propylene glycol diglycidyl ether, tripropylene glycol diglycidyl ether, polypropylene glycol diglycidyl ether, neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether, diglycidyl ether of hydrogenated bisphenol A, hydroquinone diglycidyl ether, resorcinol diglycidyl ether, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A or epichlorohydrin polyaddition products, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F or epichlorohydrin polyaddition products, diglycidyl ether of halogenated bisphenol A or epichlorohydrin polyaddition products, diglycidyl ether of biphenyl-type bisphenol A or epichlorohydrin polyaddition products, glycidyl etherified products of novolak resins, copolymers of methyl methacrylate
• Epicote 1001 (molecular weight: about 900, epoxy equivalence: 450-500, manufactured by Japan Epoxy Resin Co., Ltd.), Epicote 1002 (molecular weight: about 1,600, epoxy equivalence: 600-700), Epicote 1004 (molecular weight: about 1,060, epoxy equivalence: 875-975), Epicote 1007 (molecular weight: about 2,900, epoxy equivalence: 2,000), Epicote 1009 (molecular weight: about 3,750, epoxy equivalence: 3,000), Epicote 1010 (molecular weight: about 5,500, epoxy equivalence: 4,000), Epicote 1100L (epoxy equivalence: 4,000), Epicote YX31575 (epoxy equivalence: 1,200), Sumiepoxy ESCN-195XHN, ESCN-195XL and ESCN-195XF (man
• isocyanate compounds preferably used in the invention tolylene diisocyanate, diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polymethylene polyphenyl polyisocyanate, xylylene diisocyanate, naphthalene diisocyanate, cyclohexane phenylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, cyclohexyl diisocyanate, and blocked products of these compounds with alcohol or amine can be exemplified.
• ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, hexamethylene-diamine, propylenediamine and polyethyleneimine are exemplified.
• compounds having a hydroxyl group preferably usable in the invention compounds having methylol groups at terminals, polyhydric alcohols such as pentaerythritol, and bisphenol-polyphenols arc exemplified.
• aromatic polycarboxylic acids e.g., pyromellitic acid, trimellitic acid, and phthalic acid
• aliphatic polycarboxylic acids e.g., adipic acid
• preferred acid anhydrides preferably used in the invention pyromellitic anhydride and benzophenone-tetracarboxylic anhydride are exemplified.
• thermo-reactive group can be microencapsulated by the well-known methods described above in the radical polymerization
• an image-recording layer in the invention may contain a hydrophilic resin.
• a hydrophilic resin resins having a hydrophilic group, e.g., a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a phosphoric acid group, a sulfonic acid group, and an amido group are preferred.
• hydrophilic resins are crosslinked by the reaction with the thermo-reactive group of a hydrophobitizing precursor to thereby increase image strength and resistance to printing machine, it is preferred that the hydrophilic resins have a group reactive with thermo-reactive groups.
• hydrophobitizing precursors have a vinyloxy group or an epoxy group
• hydrophilic resins having a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a phosphoric acid group or a sulfonic acid group are preferred.
• Hydrophilic resins having a hydroxyl group or a carboxyl group are particularly preferred.
• hydrophilic resins include gum arabic, casein, gelatin, starch derivative, soya gum, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium salts of it, cellulose acetate, sodium alginate, vinyl acetate-maleic acid copolymers, styrene-maleic acid copolymers, polyacrylic acids and salts of them, polymethacrylic acids and salts of them, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxyethyl acrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxypropyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxypropyl acrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyl acrylate, polyethylene glycols, hydroxypropylene polymers, polyvinyl alcohols,
• the addition amount of the hydrophilic resins to an image recording layer is preferably 20 mass % or less, more preferably 10 mass % or less.
• the hydrophilic resins may be crosslinked in advance in such a degree that an unexposed portion can be subjected to on-press development.
• the examples of the crosslinking agents include aldehydes, e.g., glyoxal, melamine-formaldehyde resin, and urea-formaldehyde resin, methylol compounds, e.g., N-methylolurea, N-methylolmelamine, and methylolated polyamide resin, active vinyl compounds, e.g., divinylsulfone and bis( ⁇ -hydroxyethylsulfonic acid), epoxy compounds, e.g., epichlorohydrin, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, polyamide, polyamine, epichlorohydrin addition product, and polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin, ester compounds, e.g., monochloroacetic ester and thioglycolic ester, polycarboxylic acids, e
• An image-recording layer in the invention can contain reaction accelerators for initiating or accelerating the reaction of the thermo-reactive groups.
• reaction accelerators photo-acid generators or radical generators in the color changing system and radical polymerization initiators in the polymerization system can be exemplified as preferred accelerators.
• the reaction accelerators can be used in combination of two or more.
• the reaction accelerators may be directly added to an image-recording layer coating solution, or may be added to the polymer fine particles.
• the content of the reaction accelerators in an image-recording layer is preferably from 0.01 to 20 mass % of the total solids content of the image-recording layer, more preferably from 0.1 to 10 mass %. In this range of reaction accelerator content, on-press developing properties are not impaired and good reaction initiation and accelerating effect can be ensured.
• polyfunctional monomers can be added to the matrix of the image-recording layer for further increasing the press life.
• the polyfunctional monomers the polymerizable compounds exemplified above can be used. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate and pentaerythritol triacrylate are preferred above all.
• the hydrophobitizing precursor series image-recording layer can contain additives such as the surfactants, polymerization inhibitors, higher fatty acid derivatives, plasticizers, inorganic fine particles and low molecular weight hydrophilic compounds described in the item of ⁇ Other image-recording layer components> in the polymerization series image-recording layer, according to necessity.
• the hydrophobitizing precursor series image-recording layer in the invention is formed by preparing a coating solution by dispersing or dissolving the above necessary components in a solvent, and coating the coating solution on a support and drying.
• the coating weight (solids content) of the image recording layer on a support obtained after coating and drying is generally preferably from 0.5 to 5.0 g/m 2 , although it differs according to uses.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor capable of on-press development can be manufactured by using the hydrophobitizing precursor series image-recording layer.
• the lithographic printing plate precursor in the invention can be applied to a non-processing (non-development) type lithographic printing plate precursor.
• a hydrophilic layer having such a crosslinking structure contains at least one kind of a hydrophilic resin having a crosslinking structure and an inorganic hydrophilic binder resin formed by sol/gel conversion.
• a hydrophilic resin having a crosslinking structure and an inorganic hydrophilic binder resin formed by sol/gel conversion the hydrophilic resin is described first.
• the hydrophilic resin By the addition of the hydrophilic resin, the affinity of the hydrophilic components in emulsion ink is increased and, at the same time, the film strength of the image-recording layer itself is also improved
• the hydrophilic resins those having a hydrophilic group, e.g., hydroxyl, carboxyl, hydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl, amino, aminoethyl, aminopropyl and carboxymethyl, are preferred.
• hydrophilic resins include Sum arabic, casein, gelatin, starch derivative, carboxymethyl cellulose and the sodium salt thereof, cellulose acetate, sodium alginate, vinyl acetate-maleic acid copolymers, styrene-maleic acid copolymers, polyacrylic acids and the salts thereof, polymethacrylic acids and the salts thereof, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxyethyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxyethyl acrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxypropyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxypropyl acrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyl methacrylate, homopolymers and copolymers of hydroxybutyl acrylate, polyethylene glycols, hydroxypropylene polymers, polyvinyl alcohols, hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate having a hydrolysis degree of
• the hydrophilic resin When the hydrophilic resin is used in an image-recording layer in the invention, it is effective to use the hydrophilic resin by crosslinking.
• crosslinking agents for forming a crosslinking structure the compounds exemplified above as the crosslinking agents are used.
• an image-recording layer containing an inorganic hydrophilic binder resin formed by sol/gel conversion can also be exemplified.
• Preferred sol/gel convertible binder resins are polymers wherein the bonding groups of polyvalent elements form a network structure, i.e., a three-dimensional crosslinking structure, via oxygen atoms and, at the same time, polyvalent metals also have hydroxyl groups and alkoxyl groups not bonded and they are mixed and form resinous structure.
• the systems are in a sot state at a stage abundant in alkoxyl groups and hydroxyl groups, and the network resinous structure comes to heighten with the advancement of dehydration condensation.
• the polyvalent bonding elements of the compounds having sol/gel convertible hydroxyl groups and alkoxyl groups are aluminum, silicon, titanium and zirconium, and all of which can be used in the invention. More preferred sol/gel convertible systems are those using silicon, and particularly preferred system is a sol/gel convertible system containing a silane compound having at least one silanol group. A sol/gel convertible system using silicon is described below. Sol/gel conversions using aluminum, titanium and zirconium can also be carried out by the substitution of the silicon in the following description with respective elements.
• Sol/gel convertible binder resins are preferably resins having a siloxane bond and a silanol group, and a coating solution of sol system containing a compound having at least one silanol group is used in an image-recording layer in the invention. Condensation and gelation of the silanol group progress during coating and drying processes, and the structure of a siloxane skeleton is formed.
• An image-recording layer containing a sol/gel convertible binder resin and the above hydrophilic resins and crosslinking agents can be used in combination for the purpose of the improvement of physical properties, e.g., layer strength and the flexibility of the layer, and the betterment of coating property.
• a siloxane resin for forming a gel structure is represented by the following formula (III), and a silane compound having at least one silanol group is represented by the following formula (IV).
• a material added to an image recording layer need not be a silane compound represented by formula (IV) alone and, in general, the material may comprise an oligomer of a silane compound partially condensed, or may be mixture of a silane compound represented by formula (IV) and the oligomer.
• a siloxane resin represented by formula (III) is formed by sol/gel conversion from the dispersion containing at least one silane compound represented by formula (IV).
• at least one of R 01 , R 02 and R 03 represents a hydroxyl group, and the remaining represent an organic residue selected from R 0 and Y in formula (IV).
• R 0 represents a hydroxyl group, a hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group
• Y represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, —OR 1 , —OCOR 2 or —N(R 3 )(R 3 )(R 4 );
• R 1 and R 2 each represents a hydrocarbon group;
• R 3 and R 4 which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrocarbon group or a hydrogen atom; and
• n represents 0, 1, 2 or 3.
• R 0 represents, as the hydrocarbon group or the heterocyclic group, e.g., a straight chain or branched alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms which may be substituted (e.g., a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group, a heptyl group, an octyl group, a nonyl group, a decyl group, a dodecyl group, etc.; as the substituents of these groups, a halogen atom (a chlorine atom, a fluorine atom, a bromine atom), a hydroxyl group, a thiol group, a carboxyl group, a sulfo group, a cyano group, an epoxy group, an —OR′ group (R′ represents a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group
• R 1 represents an aliphatic group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be substituted (e.g., a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a heptyl group, a hex,!
• R 2 represents an aliphatic group of the same meaning as R1 has, or an aromatic group having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms which may be substituted (as the aromatic group, those described above in the aryl group represented by R can be exemplified).
• R 3 and R 4 which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be substituted (e.g., the same groups described in R 1 of the —OR 1 group can be exemplified). More preferably, the total number of the carbon atoms of R 3 and R 4 is not more than 16.
• the silane compound represented by formula (IV) the following compounds can be exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to these compounds.
• metallic compounds capable of conjoining with resins to form a film at the time of sol/gel conversion e.g., Ti, Zn, Sn, Zr, Al, etc., can be used in the image-recording layer in combination.
• the examples of the metallic compounds for use for this purpose include, e.g., Ti(OR′′) 4 , TiCl 4 , Zn(OR′′) 2 , Zn(CH 3 COCHCOCH 3 ) 2 , Sn(OR′′) 4 , Sn(CH 3 COCHCOCH 3 ) 4 , Sn(OCOR′′) 4 , SnCl 4 , Zr(OR′′) 4 , Zr(CH 3 COCHCOCH 3 ) 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 ZrO(CO 3 ) 2 , Al(OR′′) 3 , Al(CH 3 COCHCOCH 3 ), etc.
• R′′ represents a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, a butyl group, a pentyl group, a hexyl group).
• an acidic catalyst or a basic catalyst For accelerating hydrolysis and polycondensation reaction of the silane compound represented by formula (IV) and the above metallic compound to be used in combination, it is preferred to use an acidic catalyst or a basic catalyst together.
• an acidic or basic compound may be used as it is, or may be dissolved in water or a solvent such as alcohol (hereinafter referred to as the acidic catalyst or the basic catalyst).
• the concentration of the catalyst is not particularly restricted but when the concentration is high, hydrolysis and polycondensation reaction are liable to become fast.
• the concentration of the basic catalyst is preferably 1N (in terms of the concentration in an aqueous solution) or less.
• the specific examples of the acidic catalysts include hydroghalogenic acid such as hydrochloric acid, carboxylic acids such as nitric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, hydrogen sulfide, perchloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, carbonic acid, formic acid and acetic acid, and and sulfonic acid such as benzenesulfonic acid.
• the specific examples of the basic catalysts include ammoniacal bases such as aqueous ammonia, and amines such as ethylamine and aniline, but the catalysts are not limited to these compounds.
• an image-recording layer produced by the sol/gel method is particularly preferred as the constitution of the image-recording layer according to the present invention.
• the details of the sol/gel method are described in Sumio Sakuhana, Sol/Gel Ho no Kagaku ( Chemistry of Sol/Gel Method ), Agune Shofu-Sha (1988) and Seki Hirashima, Saishin Sol/Gel Ho ni yoru Kino - Sei Hakumaku Sakusei Gijutsu ( Producing Techniques of Functional Thin Films by the Latest Sol/Gel Methods ), Sogo Gijutsu Center (1992).
• the addition amount of the hydrophilic resins to an image recording layer having a crosslinking structure is preferably from 5 to 70 mass % of the solids content of the image-recording layer, more preferably from 5 to 50 mass %.
• Supports for use in the image-recording layer in the invention are not particularly limited and any materials can be used so long as they are dimensionally stable and plate-like materials.
• supports having a hydrophilic surface are preferred.
• paper, paper laminated with plastics e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, etc.
• metal plates e.g., aluminum, zinc, copper, etc.
• plastic films e.g., cellulose diacetate 5 cellulose triacetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose nitrate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetal, etc.
• paper and plastic films laminated or deposited with the above metals can be exemplified as the materials of the support.
• Preferred supports are a polyester film and an aluminum plate. Above all aluminum sheets, which are dimensionally stable and comparatively inexpensive, are preferred.
• Aluminum plates are a pure aluminum plate, alloy plates containing aluminum as a main component and a trace amount of different elements, and aluminum or aluminum alloy thin films laminated with plastics.
• the examples of different elements contained in aluminum alloys include silicon, iron, manganese, copper, magnesium, chromium, zinc, bismuth, nickel, titanium, etc.
• the different element content in aluminum alloys is preferably 1 mass % or less.
• a pure aluminum plate is preferred but 100% pure aluminum is difficult to produce from the refinig technique, accordingly, an extremely small amount of different elements may be contained.
• the compositions of aluminum plates used in the invention are not specified, and aluminum plates of conventionally well known and commonly used materials can be optionally used.
• a support for use in the invention has a thickness of preferably from 0.1 to 0.6 mm, more preferably from 0.15 to 0.4 mm, and still more preferably from 0.2 to 0.3 mm.
• the aluminum plate Prior to the use of an aluminum plate, it is preferred for the aluminum plate to be subjected to surface treatment, e.g., surface roughening treatment and hydrophilic film forming treatment.
• surface treatment e.g., surface roughening treatment and hydrophilic film forming treatment.
• surface treatment the improvement of hydrophilicity and the security of the adhesion of an image-recording layer and a support become easy.
• degreasing treatment with a surfactant, an organic solvent or an alkaline aqueous solution is carried out to remove the rolling oil on the surface of an aluminum plate.
• Surface roughening treatment of the surface of an aluminum plate is performed by various methods, e.g., mechanical surface roughening treatment, electrochemical surface roughening treatment (surface roughening treatment of electrochemically dissolving the surface), and chemical surface roughening treatment (surface roughening treatment of chemically selectively dissolving the surface) are exemplified.
• a method of roughening in an electrolyte containing an acid such as a hydrochloric acid or a nitric acid by alternating current or direct current can be used.
• a method of using mixed acids can be used as disclosed in JP-A-54-63902.
• the thermal conductivity of the hydrophilic layer in the thickness direction is 0.05 W/mK or more, preferably from 0.08 to 0.5 W/mK, more preferably 0.3 W/mK or less, and still more preferably 0.2 W/mK or less.
• the thermal conductivity of the hydrophilic layer in the layer thickness direction is from 0.05 0.5 W/mK, the diffusion of the heat generated in the image-recording layer by laser exposure to the support can be prevented.
• the lithographic printing plate precursor when used as an on-press development type or non-processing type lithographic printing plate precursor, the heat generated by laser exposure can be effectively used, so that high sensitivity, sufficient print image formation and printing out image formation become possible.
• the thermal conductivity of a hydrophilic film in the thickness direction prescribed in the invention is described below.
• Various measuring methods of thermal conductivity of a thin film have so fir been reported.
• Ono et al. have reported the thermal conductivity of a thin film in the plane direction by using a thermograph in 1986.
• a trial to apply an alternating current heating method to the measurement of thermal physical properties of a thin film is reported.
• the origin of the alternating current heating method can be retroactive to the report in 1863.
• Various measuring methods are proposed in recent years by the development of a heating method by laser and by the combination with Fourier transform. Apparatus using a laser angstrom method are really now on the market. All of these methods are to find the thermal conductivity of a thin film in the plane direction (in-plane).
• thermal diffusion in the depth direction is a rather important factor in considering the thermal conduction of a thin film.
• the thermal conductivity of a thin film is not isotropic as reported variously.
• the direct measurement of the thermal conductivity of a thin film in the thickness direction is very important. From this point of view, as a trial to measure the thermal physical properties of a thin film in the thickness direction, the method using a thermocomparator is reported in Lambropoulos et al., J. Appl. Phys. 66 (9) (1 Nov., 1989) and Henager et al., Applied Optics , Vol. 32, No. 1 (1 Jan., 1993). Further, in recent years, a method of measuring thermal diffusivity of a polymer thin film by the temperature wave thermal analysis applying Fourier analysis is reported in Hashimoto et al, Netsu Sokutei ( Thermal Measurement ), 27 (3) (2000).
• thermocomparator The thermal conductivity of a hydrophilic film in the thickness direction prescribed in the invention is measured by the above method of using a thermocomparator.
• the measuring method of the above method is specifically described below, but the fundamental principles of the method are described in detail in the article of Lambropoulos et al. and the article of Henager et al. In the invention, measurement was performed with a thermocomparator shown in FIG. 3 in JP-A-2003-103951 and according to the method disclosed in the same patent.
• the gradient of equation (1) and the thermal conductivity of the film (K tf ) can be found. That is, as is apparent from of equation (1), the gradient is a value determined by the thermal conductivity of the reservoir (K 1 ), the radius of curvature of the tip of the chip (r1), the thermal conductivity of the film (K tf ), and the contact area of the chip and the film (A 3 ), and K 1 , r1 and A 3 are already known values, so that K tf can be obtained from the gradient.
• the temperature was measured with changing the film thickness, and the thermal conductivity of Al 2 O 3 found from the gradient of the resulted graph was 0.69 W/mK.
• This value well coincides with the results in the article of Lambropoulos et al., and this result also shows that the thermal physical value of a thin film is different from the thermal physical value of the bulk (the thermal conductivity of Al 2 O 3 of bulk is 28 W/mK).
• a result free of dispersion can be preferably obtained even with a roughened surface for lithographic printing by making the tip of a chip minute and maintaining the pressing load constant It is preferred to find the value of thermal conductivity as the average value of measurement at a plurality of points on a sample, e.g., at fine points.
• the thickness of a hydrophilic film is preferably 0.1 ⁇ m or more, more preferably 0.3 ⁇ m or more, and particularly preferably 0.6 ⁇ m or more, and considering from the manufacturing costs that a great energy is required for forming a thick film, the thickness is preferably 5 ⁇ m or less, more preferably 3 ⁇ m or less, and particularly preferably 2 ⁇ m or less.
• the hydrophilic film in the invention has a density of from 1,000 to 3,200 kg/m 3 from the thermal insulating effect, film strength and soiling resistance in printing.
• the density can be computed according to the following equation from the mass measured by a Mason method (a weighing method of anodic oxide film by dissolution with a chromic acid/phosphoric acid mixed solution) and the film thickness obtained by observing the cross section of a film with an SEM.
• the forming methods of a hydrophilic film are not especially restricted, and an anodizing method, a vacuum evaporation method, a CVD method, a sol/gel method, a sputtering method, an ion plating method, and a diffusing method can be arbitrarily used. Further, it is also possible to use a method of coating a solution obtained by mixing hollow particles in a hydrophilic resin or a sol/gel solution.
• a process of producing an oxide by anodization that is, using an anodizing process, is most preferred.
• Anodizing process can be carried out by the methods conventionally used in the industry. Specifically, by the application of DC or AC to an aluminum plate in an aqueous solution or nonaqueous solution comprising sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, chromic acid, oxalic acid, sulfamic acid or benzenesulfonic acid alone or in combination of two or more, an anodic oxide film that is a hydrophilic film can be formed on the surface of the aluminum plate.
• the conditions of anodizing process change variously by the electrolytes used and cannot be determined unconditionally, but generally the concentration of an electrolyte of from 1 to 80 mass %, a liquid temperature of from 5 to 70° C., electric current density of from 0.5 to 60 A/m 2 , voltage of from 1 to 200 V, and electrolysis time of from 1 to 1,000 seconds are preferred.
• an anodizing process in a sulfuric acid electrolyte by high electric current density as disclosed in British Patent 1,412,768, and an anodizing process with a phosphoric acid as the electrolytic bath as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,661 are preferred. It is also possible to perform a multi-stage anodizing process comprising anodization in a sulfuric acid electrolyte and further anodization in a phosphoric acid.
• the anodic oxide film in the invention is preferably 0.1 g/m 2 or more, more preferably 0.3 g/m 2 or more, still more preferably 2 g/m 2 or more, and particularly preferably 3.2 g/m 2 or more.
• the anodic oxide film is preferably 100 g/m 2 or less, more preferably 40 g/m 2 or less, and particularly preferably 20 g/m 2 or less.
• Minute concavities called micro pores evenly distributed are formed on the surface of an anodic oxide film.
• the density of micro pores on the surface of an anodic oxide film can be controlled by arbitrarily selecting the processing conditions.
• the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction of an anodic oxide film can be made from 0.05 to 0.5 W/mK by increasing the density of micro pores.
• the diameter of micro pores can be adjusted by arbitrarily selecting the processing conditions.
• the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction of an anodic oxide film can be made from 0.05 to 0.5 W/mK by making the diameter of micro pores larger.
• the pore widening process is a process of dissolving an anodic oxide film to thereby enlarge the pore diameter of micro pores by immersing an aluminum substrate on which an anodic oxide film is formed in an acid aqueous solution or an alkali aqueous solution.
• the pore widening process is performed in the range of the dissolving amount of an anodic oxide film of preferably from 0.01 to 20 g/m 2 , more preferably from 0.1 to 5 g/m 2 , and particularly preferably from 0.2 to 4 g/m 2 .
• an aqueous solution of inorganic acid such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid or hydrochloric acid, or an aqueous solution of the mixture of these acids.
• concentration of an acid aqueous solution is preferably from 10 to 1,000 g/liter, more preferably from 20 to 500 g/liter.
• the temperature of an acid aqueous solution is preferably from 10 to 90° C., more preferably from 30 to 70° C.
• the time of immersion in an acid aqueous solution is preferably from 1 to 300 seconds, more preferably from 2 to 100 seconds.
• an alkali aqueous solution when used in a pore widening process, it is preferred to use an aqueous solution containing at least one alkali selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide.
• the pH of an alkali aqueous solution is preferably from 10 to 13, more preferably from 11.5 to 13.0.
• the temperature of an alkali aqueous solution is preferably from 10 to 90° C., more preferably from 30 to 50° C.
• the time of immersion in an alkali aqueous solution is preferably from 1 to 500 seconds, more preferably from 2 to 100 seconds.
• a more preferred anodic oxide film capable of compatibility of a heat insulating property and soiling resistance is an anodic oxide film having a surface micro pore diameter of from 0 to 40 nm and an inside micro pore diameter of from 20 to 300 nm.
• the pore diameter of the pore that occurs by the electrolysis is proportional to the electrolytic voltage at the time of electrolysis.
• a method of forming pores having a widened bottom part can be used by gradually increasing electrolytic voltage.
• a pore diameter changes by changing the kind of electrolyte, and a pore diameter becomes larger in the order of a sulfuric acid, an oxalic acid, and a phosphoric acid. Accordingly, a method of anodization of using a sulfuric acid in the electrolyte of the first stage and a phosphoric acid in the second stage can be used.
• a support for a lithographic printing plate obtained by an anodizing process and a pore widening process may be subjected to a sealing process described later.
• a hydrophilic film may be an inorganic film formed by a sputtering method, a CVD method, etc.
• the compounds constituting an inorganic film e.g., oxide, nitride, silicide, boride and carbide are exemplified.
• An inorganic film may be composed of a simple substance of a compound alone or may be composed of a mix e of compounds.
• a support for a lithographic printing plate provided with a hydrophilic film may be subjected to a sealing process.
• sealing processes of an anodic oxide film by steam sealing under pressure and boiling water sealing as disclosed in JP-A-4-176690 and JP-A-11-301135 are exemplified.
• Well-known sealing processes can also be used in the invention, e.g., a silicate process, a bichromate aqueous solution process, a nitrite process, an ammonium acetate process, an electrodeposition sealing process, a triethanolamine process, a barium carbonate process, and a sealing process by boiling water containing a trace amount of phosphate, can be used.
• a forming system of a pore varies according to the manner of sealing process, for example, a pore is formed from the bottom when sealing is performed by an electrodeposition sealing process and a pore is formed from the top when steam sealing is performed.
• an immersing process in a solution, a spraying process, a coating process, a vacuum evaporation process, sputtering, ion plating, flame spray coating and metal plating are exemplified as sealing processes, but the process of sealing is not particularly limited in the invention.
• a sealing process using particles having an average particle size of from 8 to 800 nm as disclosed in JP-A-2002-214764 is exemplified.
• the average particle size of the particles used in the sealing process using particles is from 8 to 800 nm, preferably from 10 to 500 nm, and more preferably from 10 to 150 nm.
• the thickness of a particle layer is preferably from 8 to 800 nm, more preferably from 10 to 500 nm.
• the thermal conductivity of the particles used in the invention is preferably 60 W/mK or less, more preferably 40 W/mK or less, and particularly preferably from 0.3 to 10W/mK
• the thermal conductivity is 60 W/mK or less, the diffusion of heat to an aluminum substrate can be sufficiently controlled and the effect of increasing sensitivity can be sufficiently obtained.
• a particle layer e.g., an immersing process in a solution, a spraying process, a coating process, an electrolytic process, a vacuum evaporation process, sputtering, ion plating, flame spray coating and metal plating are exemplified, but the method is not particularly restricted.
• An electrolytic process is performed with DC or AC.
• the waveforms of AC used in the electrolytic process a sine wave, a rectangular wave, a triangular wave and a trapezoidal wave are exemplified.
• the frequencies of AC are preferably from 30 to 200 Hz, more preferably from 40 to 120 Hz.
• the time required for the electric current to reach the peak from 0 (tp) is preferably from 0.1 to 2 msec, more preferably from 0.3 to 1.5 msec.
• hydrophilic particles it is preferred to use Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , SiO 2 respectively alone or in combination of two or more.
• An electrolyte can be obtained by suspending the above hydrophilic particles in water and the like so that the content of the particles becomes from 0.01 to 20 mass % of the total conte.t
• the pH of an electrolyte can be adjusted by adding, e.g., a suifuic acid, to be charged positively or negatively.
• Electrolytic process is performed, e.g., by using DC with an aluminum plate as the cathode and with the above electrolyte on the conditions of the voltage of from 10 to 200 V for 1 to 600 seconds. According to this method, micro pores can be easily sealed while leaving voids in the micro pores on the anodic oxide film.
• the methods of providing any of the following layers by coating arc exemplified, e.g., a layer comprising a compound having at least one amino group, and at least one group selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group and a group of the salt thereof, a sulfo group and a group of the salt thereof as disclosed in JP-A-60-149491, a layer comprising a compound having at least one amino group and at least one hydroxyl group, and a compound selected from the salts thereof as disclosed in JP-A-60-232998, a layer containing a phosphate as disclosed in JP-A-62-19494, and a layer comprising a polymer compound having at least one monomer unit having a sulfo group as the repeating unit in the molecule as disclosed in JP-A-59-101651.
• the methods of providing a layer of a compound selected from the following compounds are also exemplified, e.g., carboxymethyl cellulose; dextrin; gum arabic; phosphonic acids having an amino group such as 2-aminoethylphosphonic acid; organic phosphonic acids such as phenylphosphonic acid, naphthyl-phosphonic acid, alkylphosphonic acid, glycero-phosphonic acid, methylenediphosphonic acid, ethylene-diphosphonic acid, each of which may have a substituent, organic phosphoric esters such as phenylphosphoric ester, naphthylphosphoric ester, alkylphosphoric ester, glycero-phosphoric ester, each of which may have a substituent; organic phosphinic acids such as phenylphosphinic acid, naphthyl-phosphinic acid, alkylphosphinic acid, glycerophosphinic acid, each of which may have a substituent; amino
• silane coupling agents include N-3-(acryloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, (3-acryloxypropyl)-dimethylmethoxysilane, (3-acryloxypropyl)methyldimethoxy-silane, (3-acryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane, 3-(N-allyl-amino)propyltrimethoxysilane, allyldimethoxysilane, allyltriethoxysilane, allyltrimethoxysilane, 3-butenyl-triethoxysilane, 2-(chloromethyl)allyltrimethoxysilane, methacrylamidopropyltriethoxysilane, N-(3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, (methacryloxy
• hydrophilizing process alkali metal silicate methods as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,714,066, 3,181,461, 3,280,734 and 3,902,734 are known. These methods comprise immersion processing of a support in an aqueous solution of sodium silicate or electrolytic processing.
• a method of processing an aluminum plate with potassium fluorozirconate as disclosed in JP-B-36-22063, and methods of processing with polyvinylphosphonic acid as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,276,868, 4,153,461 and 4,689,272 are exemplified.
• hydrophilic layer When a polyester film insufficient in a hydrophilic property of surface is used as a support in the invention, it is preferred to coat a hydrophilic layer to make the surface hydrophilic.
• a hydrophilic layer provided by coating a coating solution containing the colloid of oxide or hydroxide of at least one element selected from beryllium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, titanium, boron, germanium, tin, zirconium, iron, vanadium, antimony and transition metals as disclosed in JP-A-2001-199175, a hydrophilic layer having an organic hydrophilic matrix obtained by the crosslinking or pseudo-crosslinking of an organic hydrophilic polymer as disclosed in JP-A-2002-79772, a hydrophilic layer having an inorganic hydrophilic matrix obtained by sol/gel conversion comprising hydrolysis and condensation reaction of polyalkoxysilane, titanate, zirconate or aluminate, and a hydrophilic layer comprising an inorganic thin film having a surface containing
• an antistatic layer on the hydrophilic layer side of the support, or on the opposite side to the hydrophilic layer, or on both sides.
• an antistatic layer is provided between a support and a hydrophilic layer, the antistatic layer also contributes to the adhesion of the hydrophilic layer and the support.
• the polymer layers containing the dispersion of metallic oxide fine particles and a matting agent as disclosed in JP-A-2002-79772 can be used as the antistatic layers.
• a support for use in the invention has a central line average surface roughness of from 0.10 to 1.2 ⁇ m. In this range of average surface roughness, good adhesion of the support and an image-recording layer, good press life and good soiling resistance can be obtained.
• the color density of a support is preferably from 0.15 to 0.65 in terms of a reflection density value. A good image forming property due to antihalation in the time of image exposure and a good plate-detecting property after development can be obtained when the color density of a support is in this range.
• a backcoat can be provided on the back surface of the support.
• coating layers comprising organic polymer compounds as disclosed in JP-A-5-45885, and coating layers comprising metallic oxides obtained by hydrolysis and polycondensation of organic or inorganic metallic compounds as disclosed in JP-A-6-35174 are preferably used.
• Alkoxy compounds of silicon e.g., Si(OCH 3 ) 4 , Si(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 , Si(OC 3 H 7 ) 4 , Si(OC 4 H 9 ) 4 , are preferably used for the inexpensiveness and easy availability of the materials.
• an undercoat layer can be provided between an image-recording layer and a support. Since the undercoat layer functions as a heat insulating layer, the heat generated by infrared laser exposure does not diffuse to the support and is efficiently utilized, so that the improvement of sensitivity can be contriver Further, the image-recording layer comes to be easily peeled off the support at an unexposed portion, so that on-press developability is improved.
• the silane coupling agent having an addition polymerizable ethylenic double bond reactive group disclosed in JP-A-10-282679, and the phosphorus compounds having an ethylenic double bond reactive group disclosed in JP-A-2-304441 are preferred.
• compounds having both a polymerizable group such as a methacrylic group or an allyl group and support-adsorptive group such as a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group or a phosphoric ester group are also preferred.
• Compounds obtained by adding a hydrophilicity-imparting group, e.g., an ethyleneoxy group, to these compounds can also be preferably used.
• the coating amount of an undercoat layer (solids content) is preferably from 0.1 to 100 mg/m 2 , more preferably from 1 to 30 mg/m 2 .
• a protective layer may be provided on an image recording layer of the lithographic printing plate precursor of the invention.
• Exposure is generally performed in the air in the invention, and the protective layer prevents the mixture into the image recording layer of low molecular weight compounds such as oxygen and basic substance in the air that hinder the image forming reaction occurring in the image-recording layer by exposure, by which the hindrance of the image-forming reaction by exposure in the air can be prevented.
• the characteristics required of the protective layer are to be low in permeability of low molecular weight compounds such as oxygen, good in transmission of light used for exposure, excellent in adhesion with an image-recording layer, and capable of being removed easily by on-press development after exposure.
• Protective layers having such characteristics have so far been variously examined and they are disclosed in detail, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,311 and JP-B-55-49729.
• water-soluble polymer compounds relatively excellent in crystallizability are exemplified.
• water-soluble polymers e.g., polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, acid celluloses, gelatin, gum arabic, and polyacrylic acid are exemplified.
• polyvinyl alcohol PVA
• the best results can be given to the fundamental characteristics such as an oxygen-shielding property and the removal by development
• Polyvinyl alcohols may be partially substituted with ester, ether or acetal, or may partially contain other copolymer component so long as they contain an unsubstituted vinyl alcohol unit for imparting an oxygen-shielding property and solubility in water that are necessary to the protective layer.
• polyvinyl alcohols those having a hydrolyzed rate of from 71 to 100 mol % and the degree of polymerization of from 300 to 2,400 are preferably exemplified.
• the components of the protective layer are suitably selected by considering fogging characteristic, adhesion and scratch resistance besides the oxygen shielding property and the removal by development.
• the higher the hydrolyzing rate of PVA that is, the higher the unsubstituted vinyl alcohol unit content in the protective layer
• the higher the layer thickness the higher is the oxygen-shielding property, thus advantageous in the point of sensitivity
• an oxygen-permeating property is not too high. Therefore, oxygen permeability A at 25° C. under 1 atm is preferably, 0.2 ⁇ A ⁇ 20 (cm 3 /m 2 ⁇ day).
• glycerol, dipropylene glycol and the like can be added in an amount of several mass % to the water-soluble polymer compounds to provide flexibility, and further, anionic surfactants, e.g., sodium alkylsulfate and sodium alkylsulfonate; ampholytic surfactants, e.g., alkylaminocarboxylate and alkylaminodi-carboxylate; and nonionic surfactants, e.g., polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ether, can be added to the (co)polymers each in an amount of several mass %.
• the layer thickness of the protective layer is preferably from 0.1 to 5 ⁇ m, and particularly preferably from 0.2 to 2 ⁇ m.
• the adhesion of the protective layer with an image part and scratch resistance are also very important in treating a lithographic printing plate precursor. That is, when a protective layer that is hydrophilic by containing a water-soluble polymer compound is laminated on a lipophilic image-recording layer, layer peeling of the protective layer due to insufficient adhesion is liable to occur, and sometimes a defect such as film hardening failure attributing to polymerization hindrance by oxygen is caused at the peeled part.
• a protective layer can be imparted to a protective layer.
• colorants excellent in transmission of infrared rays that are used in exposure and capable of efficiently absorbing lights of other wavelengths e.g., water-soluble dyes
• safelight aptitude can be improved without causing sensitivity reduction.
• the lithographic printing plate precursor is imagewise exposed with an infrared laser.
• the infrared lasers for use in the present invention are not particularly restricted, but solid state lasers and semiconductor lasers radiating the infrared rays of the wavelength of from 760 to 1,200 nm are preferably used.
• the output of infrared lasers is preferably 100 mW or higher. It is preferred to use a multi-beam laser device for expediting exposure.
• the exposure time per a pixel is preferably not longer than 20 ⁇ sec.
• the quantity of irradiation energy is preferably from 10 to 300 mJ/cm 2 .
• lithographic printing method in the invention as described above, after a lithographic printing plate precursor is imagewise exposed with infrared laser beams, printing can be carried out by supplying oily ink and aqueous component without being subjected to development process.
• a method of subjecting a lithographic printing plate precursor to infrared laser exposure, and then mounting the exposed printing plate precursor on a printing press without undergoing development process and performing printing and a method of mounting a lithographic printing plate precursor on a printing press, and then exposing the printing plate precursor with laser beams on the printing press, and performing printing without subjecting to development process are exemplified.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor when a lithographic printing plate precursor is imagewise exposed with laser beams and printing is performed by supplying oily ink and aqueous component without being subjected to development process such as wet development process, the image-recording layer hardened by exposure forms an oily ink-accepting area having a lipophilic surface at the exposed portion of the image-recording layer.
• unhardened image-recording layer is dissolved or dispersed with the supplied aqueous component and/or oily ink and removed, whereby a hydrophilic surface is bared at that area.
• the aqueous component adheres to the bared hydrophilic surface
• the oily ink adheres to the image recording layer in the exposed portion, and printing is initiated.
• the one that is supplied first to the printing plate may be an aqueous component or may be oily ink, but for preventing the aqueous component from becoming dirty by the image recording layer at the unexposed portion, it is preferred to supply oily ink in the first place.
• the aqueous component and the oily ink fountain solutions and oily inks used in ordinary lithographic printing are used.
• the lithographic printing plate precursor is subjected to on-press development on an offset printing press and used in printing of a plenty of sheets.
• 2,3,3-Trimethylindolenine (159.2 g) (1.0 mol) was dissolved by the addition of 300 ml of toluene. To the solution was added 136.2 g (1.0 mol) of 1,4-butanesultone, and the reaction system was allowed to react for 2 hours at inner temperature of 120° C. The precipitated solids were filtered out and washed with toluene, whereby the Precursor 13-A of Compound 13 of the invention was obtained as a white solid (244 g, yield: 83%).
• Triphenylsulfonyl bromide (0.4 g) (1.16 mmol) was dissolved by the addition of 28 ml of acetonitrile and 9 ml of water. Immediately after the addition of 0208 g (1.25 mmol) of silver acetate dissolved in 28 ml of acetonitrile and 9 ml of water thereto, white powder was precipitated.
• Precursor 13-A (5.9 g) (0.02 mmol) obtained in Synthesis Example 1, 3.47 g (0.02 mmol) of 1-nitroso-2-naphthol, and 1.64 g (0.02 mmol) of sodium acetate were dissolved in 300 ml of ethanol. After that, the solution was allowed to react for 2.5 hours at inner temperature of 100° C., and then concentrated under reduced pressure, whereby a mixture containing 43-A was obtained.
• an aluminum plate having a thickness of 0.3 mm (material 1050) was subjected to degreasing treatment with a 10 mass % sodium alminate aqueous solution at 50° C. for 30 seconds, and after degreasing the aluminum surface was subjected to brush-graining with three nylon brushes planted with hairs having a hair diameter of 0.3 mm and a suspension of pumice stone and water of a median diameter of 25 ⁇ m (the specific gravity: 1.1 g/cm 3 ), and the surface of the plate was thoroughly washed with water.
• the plate was immersed in a 25% sodium hydroxide aqueous solution at 45° C. for 9 seconds for etching and then washed with water. After water washing, the plate was further immersed in a 20% nitric acid aqueous solution for 20 seconds, followed by washing with water.
• the etched amount of the surface by graining was about 3 g/m 2 .
• Electrochemical surface roughening treatment was performed continuously by alternating voltage of 60 Hz.
• the electrolyte at this time was an aqueous solution containing 1 mass % of a nitric acid (containing a 0.5 mass % of an aluminum ion) and the liquid temperature was 50° C.
• alternating current electric source waveform trapezoidal rectangular waveform alternating current was used, the time TP required for the electric current value to reach the peak from 0 was 0.8 msec, the duty ratio was 1/1, and electrochemical surface roughening treatment was performed with a carbon electrode as the counter electrode. Ferrite was used as the auxiliary anode.
• the electric current density was 30 A/dm 2 at a peak value of electric current, and 5% of the electric current ftm the electric source was diverted to the auxiliary anode.
• the quantity of electricity was 175 C/dm 2 in the quantity of electricity in the case where the aluminum plate was the anode. The aluminum plate was then washed with water
• electrochemical surface roughening treatment of the aluminum plate was performed in the same manner as in the above nitric acid electrolysis with an electrolyte containing a 0.5 mass % hydrochloric acid aqueous solution (containing 0.5 mass % of an aluminum ion) at a liquid temperature of 50° C. on the condition of 50 C/dm 2 of the quantity of electricity in the case where the aluminum plate was the anode, and the plate was then subjected to spray washing.
• the plate was provided with 2.5 g/m 2 of a direct current anodic oxide film with a 15% sulfuric acid aqueous solution (containing 0.5 mass % of an aluminum ion) as the electrolyte and the electric cunrrt density of 15 A/dm 2 , washed with water, dried, and further subjected to treatment with a 2.5 mass % sodium silicate aqueous solution at 30° C. for 10 seconds.
• the central line average surface roughness (Ra) of the plate measured with a needle having a diameter of 2 ⁇ m was 0.51 ⁇ m.
• the undercoat layer coating solution (1) having the composition shown below was coated on the above support with bar coating, dried at 80° C. for 20 seconds in an oven, whereby an undercoat layer having a dry coating weight of 0.005 g/m 2 was formed.
• the image-recording layer coating solution (1) having the composition shown below was coated on the above undercoat layer with bar coating, dried at 70° C. for 60 seconds in an oven, whereby a image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 was formed, whereby a lithographic printing plate precursor 1 was obtained.
• Microcapsule (1) (in terms of solids content) 6 g Microcapsule (2) (in terms of solids content) 2.5 g Polymerization initiator (1) shown below 1 g Isocyanuric acid EO-modified triacrylate 0.5 g (ARONIX M-315, manufactured by TOAGOSEI CO., LTD.) Fluorine surfactant (1) shown below 0.1 g Polymerization initiator (1) Fluorine surfactant (1) Synthesis of Microcapsule (1):
• oil phase component 8.7 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 1 g of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (Currens MOI, manufactured by Showa Denko K.K.), 5.5 g of isocyanuric acid EO-modified triacrylate (ARONIX M-315, manufactured by TOAGOSEI CO., LTD.), 0.5 g of infrared absorber (1) shown below, and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate.
• aqueous phase component 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared.
• the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Distilled water (25 g) was added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then stirred at 40° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (1) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• oil phase component 10 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 5 g of 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-carboxybenzopyrylospiran (manufactured by Tokyo Kasei Co., Ltd.), 0.5 g of infrared absorber (1) shown above, and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate As the aqueous phase component, 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared.
• the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Tetraethylene-pentamine (0.38 g) and 25 g of distilled water were added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then stirred at 65° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (2) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 2 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that the image-recording layer coating solution (2) having the composition shown below was coated on a support with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 .
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 3 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that the image-recording layer coating solution (3) having the composition shown below was coated on a support with bar coating, and dried at 80° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 .
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 4 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that the image-recording layer coating solution (4) having the composition shown below was coated on a support with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 .
• oil phase component 8.7 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 1 g of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (Currens MOI, manufactured by Showa Denko K.K.), 6 g of pentaerythritol triacrylate (SR444, manufactured by Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd.), and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate.
• aqueous phase component 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared.
• the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Distilled water (25 g) was added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then stirred at 40° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (3) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 5 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 4 except that the protective layer coating solution (1) having the composition shown below was further coated on the image-recording layer in Example 4 with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a protective layer having a dry coating weight of 0.5 g/m 2 .
• Polyvinyl alcohol 1.0 g (PVA-105, manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd., degree of saponification: 98.5%) Polyoxyethylene lauryl ether 0.01 g (EMALEX 710, manufactured by Nihon Emulsion Co.) Water 19.0 g
• a lithographic printing plate precursor C1 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that microcapsule (2) used in image-recording layer coating solution (1) was completely replaced with microcapsule (4).
• oil phase component 10 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 0.5 g of infrared absorber (1), and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzene-sulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate.
• aqueous phase component 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared The oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Tetraethylenepentamine (0.38 g) and 25 g of distilled water were added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minute and then stirred at 65° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (4) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor C2 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 2 except that image-recording layer coating solution (2) was replaced with image-recording layer cat solution (5) shown below.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor C3 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 3 except that microcapsule (2) used in image-recording layer coating solution (3) was completely replaced with microcapsule (4).
• a lithographic printing plate precursor C4 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 4 except that microcapsule (2) used in image-recording layer coating solution (4) was completely replaced with microcapsule (4).
• a lithographic printing plate precursor C5 was manufactured by the same manner as in Comparative Example 4 except that the protective layer coating solution (1) having the composition shown below was further coated on the image-recording layer in Comparative Example 4 with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a protective layer having a dry coating weight of 0.5 g/m 2 .
• Each of the lithographic printing plate precursors obtained was subjected to exposure with Trendsetter 3244VX (manufactured by Creo Products Incorporated) loading a water-cooling type 40 W infrared semiconductor laser on the conditions of the quantity of exposure energy shown in Table 1 below, and resolution of 2,400 dpi.
• L* values in the exposed area and the unexposed area were measured with a color difference meter (Color difference meter CR-221, manufactured by Minorta), and the difference in the brightness of colors: ⁇ L was obtained from the absolute value of color difference.
• the exposed printing precursor was mounted on SOR-M cylinder (manufactured by Heidelberg Japan K.K.) without performing development.
• TRANS-G N
• Sumi ink manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Inc.
• the number of the sheets of printing paper required up to the time when the on-press development of the unexposed area of the image-recording layer finished and the ink did not transfer to printing paper was counted, and the number of sheets was taken as the on-press developability.
• Printed substance free from staining could be obtained within 100 sheets when the lithographic printing plate precursors of the invention were used.
• Lithographic printing plate precursor 6 was prepared by the same manner as in Example 1 except that microcapsule (2) in photosensitive/light-sensitive layer coating solution (1) was replaced with microcapsule (5) shown below.
• oil phase component 10 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 5 g of spirooxazine (1) shown below (manufactured by Tokyo Kasei Co., Ltd.), 0.5 g of infrared absorber (1), and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate.
• aqueous phase component 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared.
• the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Tetraethylene-pentamine (0.38 g) and 25 g of distilled water were added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then stirred at 65° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (5) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 7 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 2 except that 1,3,3-trimethylindolino-8′-carboxybenzospiran used in photosensitive/light-sensitive layer coating solution (2) was replaced with the above spirooxazine (1).
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 8 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 3 except that microcapsule (2) used in photosensitive/light-sensitive layer coating solution (3) was replaced with microcapsule (5).
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 9 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 4 except that microcapsule (2) used in photosensitive/light-sensitive layer coating solution (4) was replaced with microcapsule (5).
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 10 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 9 except that the protective layer coating solution (1) having the composition shown above was further coated on the photosensitive/light-sensitive layer in Example 9 with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a protective layer having a dry coating weight of 0.5 g/m 2 .
• Example No. Index of ⁇ L ⁇ L value Example 6 120 6
• Example 9 115 5.75
• Example 10 150 7.5
• the image-recording layer coating solution (6) having the composition shown below was coated on the above undercoat layer with bar coating, dried at 70° C. for 60 seconds in an oven, whereby an image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 was formed, whereby a lithographic printing plate precursor 11 was obtained.
• Microcapsule (6) (in terms of solids content) 6 g Microcapsule (7) (in terms of solids content) 2.5 g Polymerization initiator (1) shown above 1 g Isocyanuric acid EO-modified triacrylate 0.5 g (M-315, manufactured by TOAGOSEI CO., LTD.) Fluorine surfactant (1) shown above 0.1 g Synthesis of Microcapsule (6):
• oil phase component 8.7 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 1 g of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl isocyanate (Karenz MOI, manufactured by Showa Denko K.K.), 5.5 g of isocyanuric acid EO-modified triacrylate (M-315, manufactured by TOAGOSEI CO., LTD.), and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate.
• aqueous phase component 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared.
• the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Distilled water (25 g) was added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then stirred at 40° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (6) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• oil phase component 10 g of the addition product of trimethylolpropane and xylene diisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, manufactured by Mitsui Takeda Chemicals Inc.), 5 g of Compound 13 (exemplified compound in the specification), 0.5 g of infrared absorber (1) shown above, and 0.1 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Pionin A-41C, manufactured by Takemoto Oil & Fat) were dissolved in 17 g of ethyl acetate.
• aqueous phase component 40 g of a 4 mass % aqueous solution of PVA-205 was prepared.
• the oil phase component and the aqueous phase component were mixed, and emulsified with a homogenizer at 12,000 rpm for 10 minutes.
• Tetraethylene-pentamine (0.38 g) and 25 g of distilled water were added to the obtained emulsified product, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then stirred at 65° C. for 3 hours.
• the concentration of the solids content of the obtained microcapsule solution (7) was diluted to reach 20 mass % with distilled water.
• the average particle size was 0.3 ⁇ m.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 12 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that the image recording layer coating solution (7) having the composition shown below was coated on a support with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form an image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 .
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 13 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that the image recording layer coating solution (8) having the composition shown below was coated on a support with bar coating, and dried at 80° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form an image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 .
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 14 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 1 except that the image recording layer coating solution (9) having the composition shown below was coated on a support with bar coating and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form an image-recording layer having a dry coating weight of 1.0 g/m 2 .
• a lithographic printing plate precursor 15 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 14 except that the protective layer coating solution (1) shown above was further coated on the image-recording layer in Example 14 with bar coating, and dried at 100° C. for 60 seconds in an oven to form a protective layer having a dry coating weight of 0.5 g/m 2 .
• Lithographic printing plate precursors 16 to 20 were prepared by the same manner as in Examples 11 to 15 respectively except that Compound 13 of the invention used in Examples 11 to 15 was replaced with Compound 42 of the invention.
• Lithographic printing plate precursors 21 to 25 were prepared by the same manner as in Examples 11 to 15 respectively except that Compound 13 of the invention used in Examples 11 to 15 was replaced with Compound 43 of the invention.
• a lithographic printing plate precursor C6 was manufactured by the same manner as in Example 11 except that microcapsule (7) used in image-recording layer coating solution (6) was completely replaced with microcapsule (4).
• the evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 10, and the result is shown in Table 3.
• the quantity of exposure energy was 100 mJ/m 2 .
• lithographic printing plate precursors according to the invention show great difference in brightness of colors by exposure, and produce printing out images having excellent visibility.

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